College should be free

Anna Wilkinson

After a year of the pandemic, OneClass reported that more than 56% of college students could no longer afford tuition. But this is not just a current issue. For decades, many students haven’t been able to pay for college. Due to the effects of student debt, it poses a question: Should college be free?

We are repeatedly told that college is the most crucial part of life, whether it is because you are finally an adult or because it starts your solo career. A lot of students are always stressed about getting into a good college. Then we are told by adults that “It doesn’t matter where you go because you will still be getting the same education.” But then moments later, they say they prefer we go to one of the best. But some people don’t have a choice.

A survey from the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics found that over half of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 support eliminating tuition for families that make up to $125,000 at public colleges and universities. They also support making community college tuition-free for all income levels for an estimated $47 billion cost.

A widely argued topic is the stance on whether or not to go to community college. There has been a generational shame towards the students who go to community colleges, even though you are still getting the same education. Community colleges are one of the only ways for people who can’t afford a university to get an education.

President Joe Biden’s plan for education beyond high school talks briefly about this, saying that roughly six in 10 jobs require some education beyond a high school diploma. And, because technology continues to change, American workers – whether they have an industry-recognized credential, an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree, or a Ph.D. – will need opportunities to continue to learn and grow their skills for career success and increased wages in the 21st-century economy.

Biden said he would invest in community colleges and training to improve student success and grow a stronger, more prosperous, and inclusive middle class. Even with this new course of action, it doesn’t eliminate the underlying factor: You shouldn’t have to spend more money on what society considers a better education. For example, universities are tens of thousands of dollars while community colleges in California are free. It is considered more socially acceptable to go to a university because the two-year degree community college offers only gets you halfway to a bachelor’s degree.

According to ValuePenguin, public colleges’ average total cost is around $25,290 per year for in-state. For out-ofstate schools, the annual average price is $40,940. If someone is interested in going to a private school, possibly for religious reasons or to focus on a specific major, the average is around $50,900.

Even if someone can pay for a university, many people continue to pay off student debts after graduating. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, among the 2018 graduates, 69% took out loans and graduated with an average of $29,800 in debt.

EdSource explains that If there were an establishment of free college tuition, the benefits would be similar to those of the Works Progress Administration initiative after the Great Depression. That program created work for young unemployed men and offered skills, training around 8 million unskilled workers.