After four years of high school, many students go on to college where they specialize in a certain field that they hope to pursue in the future. As more people go to college, the prestige associated with earning a degree diminishes. Nevertheless, this wouldn’t be as big a deal if it weren’t for the hundreds upon thousands of dollars of debt faced by the majority of graduates, which leaves the big question–should college be free?
New high school graduates were asked this question, and this is what they said:
“Overall I do think that SUNY schools and community colleges should be free. However, at private colleges you should have to pay for it.” – Rachael Slomovitz, class of 2025
“College should be free so families don’t have to struggle financially, especially when it comes to families of different socioeconomic backgrounds and those with multiple children.” – Jessica Slomovitz, class of 2025
While these responses are viable, they don’t go over the technicalities–who would pay for it? The obvious answer is the government, but with what money? Analysts speculate it would cost around $500 billion to pay for every American’s college education…for one year. The government would need to increase taxes to ameliorate college tuition, which would take money directly from the working class, and that seems to be counterintuitive. While on paper, saying “college should be free” is great, the technicalities that come with practicalities heavily outweigh the benefits.
It also begs the question: if everyone has a degree and went to college, what would be the significance? If the importance of this education is primarily to narrow a field of study to find a specialized job, and everyone has a degree, it’s no longer specialized, and therefore no longer needed in today’s job market. Who would work as a cashier at a grocery store or any type of blue-collar job for that matter? These jobs would still need to be filled; the only difference is that it would become more competitive.
Another issue with making college free is that it may reduce students’ motivation and responsibility. When people pay for something, it makes them feel more obligated or invested. Without the fancy price tag, students might stop trying as much and drop out, resulting in wasted resources. Instead of college being free for all, a less radical and more realistic idea may be to expand financial aid benefits so that students who can’t afford college are still able to attend. This would preserve the idea of higher education while still ensuring students have the motivation to complete the work required.
While the idea of free college is appealing, it presents serious cons like higher taxes and wasted money. Although college should be more affordable, making it completely free is not practical or beneficial. By focusing on lower tuition costs and more financial aid, our country can foster a generation of highly educated workers, without the long-term economic consequences.
