College: Is It Worth It?

Before the automobile, before the computer, before the creation of the vast majority of concurrent colleges today, the rising cost of higher education has been shocking the American public. With the expense of a higher education soaring to new heights everyday, it has begun to cause people to question the effects it may have on future generations. Although, it is widely recognized that undergrad debt presently represents the biggest lump of U.S. non-lodging financial dues, many see it as a representation that college isn’t a must but a privilege that requires an investment of not only time, stress and work, but money as well. Evidently many Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers worked their way through school hassle free, and graduating with next to zero financial obligations. Unfortunately, that accomplishment is with out a doubt expected to be an unimaginable feat for the present yield of undergraduate students and late graduates. With a higher education frequently being a fundamental necessity and requirement for top-tier employers and organizations, not getting a professional education can place laborers at a significant deficiency in the selective race of employment. In any case, beginning your vocation with a pile of obligatory debt is likewise a significant detriment to your work ethic, motivation, and prosperity as well.

In one of the boldest state-driven endeavors to grow access to advanced education, New Mexico is attempting to disclose an arrangement to make educational cost at its neighboring universities and colleges free for all it’s state inhabitants, paying little mind to family salary. The new program in New Mexico would be available to late alumni of secondary schools or secondary school equivalency programs in the state, and understudies are expected to maintain a 2.5 grade point average while participating. New Mexico plans to open their educational program to all occupants, paying little respect to economic status. As of now, New Mexico has the lowest debt rates for alumni from four-year schools. In the class of 2017, they owed $21,237 all things considered, contrasted and a national normal of $28,650, as indicated by the Institute for College Access & Success (NYTimes). Authorities claim that New Mexico would profit mostly from an all inclusive way to deal with educational cost help. Additionally, it's said the program would benefit close to 55,000 undergraduates per year at a yearly cost of $25 million to $35 million (NY Times). Evidently free college educations from the public universities have been “some of the most successful engines of economic mobility in this country” (NY Times), and have shown a significant amount of evidence for a economic surge and housing market boom for future generations.

In a similar way, in the article “Millennials in Adulthood: Detached From Institutions, Networked With Friends,” agrees that generations of the modern era tend to have larger burdens of debt, poverty, and unemployment, and lower levels of wealth and personal income than the previous generations before them. The article argues that reasons such as the Great Recession and the long-term effects of globalization and rapid technological advancements in society have played a tremendous role in creating difficult economic circumstances against the Millennials. They push the idea that many of the Millennials that joined the workforce in 2007 were quickly bombarded with numerous obstacles and issues in the economy due to the recession, such issues and obstacles that also have yet to be corrected. The article emphasizes that although many Millennials complete their educational journeys neck deep in debt, they are economically aware that this is a must and that those who choose to not accept this hardship “do not advance beyond high school [and] have been paying a much stiffer penalty — in terms of low wages and high unemployment— than their counterparts did one and two generations ago,” (Millennials). They also connect the economic burdens these educational loans have to the drop in marriage rates amongst Millennials. While the NYTimes articles focuses strictly on informing us about this new revolutionary idea the officials of New Mexico have created to suppress the student loan crisis, The “Millennials” article has approached the situation through the perspective of the “Millennials” themselves. NYTimes does discuss the burden posed by the Recession and the overwhelming student loan debt on the average Millennial, which matches the statements of the “Millennials” article. Although while the popular claim is that dismissing all college debt will propose major issues down the line, both articles argue that rather the economy will see an improved economic growth, and improved outcomes for individuals who live within the city limits.

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In an effort to support and to make a stand against relieving the burden of college debt is two aritcles titled, “The Case Against Free College Tuition,” and “The Pros and Cons of Tuition - Free College”. In these articles the writers label out the fundamental reasons why either negating all college tuition debt would be a colossal mistake that would subsequently lead to a failed education system and a regression in economic growth or massive economic boost within the workforce and educational freedom. Continuing with the doubtful perspective of the Forbes article, the writer points out that at institutions that require far less payment like community colleges rather than four-year public and private universities experience much higher rates of enrolled students that eventually drop out of school prematurely and also lower graduation rates. Their reasoning behind this trend is as follows, “research shows that completion rates fall the less students pay towards the cost, hinting that free tuition might raise already scandalously high dropout rates,” (Forbes). Similarily, another reason against the notion of free tuition from the writer of the College Raptor article concludes that removing all student loan debt is the alarming uncertainty of where the money that will cover all the debt will come from. Whether it be from the upper one percent of the American public, or middle class, or maybe even the WallStreet trading fees, regardless of where the government will extract the money to cover the loans it is currently leaving Americans on edge. The uncertainty of where or who the burden will fall upon is making the general public anxious and uncomfortable if such a thing were to occur. Lastly, the final major point I pulled from these articles is that more people would consider college and actually enroll if it were to be free. This can lead to two issues. Issue number one would be that all colleges and universities would overflow with newly obtained enrollees and would struggle to handle the large masses of students. The second is since a lot of people would be interested in receiving a college degree it would subsequently devalue the notion of having one. Thus it simply wouldn’t mean as much to people anymore causing people to be careless and lazy since the degree would essentially be free. Although the articles provides many great points about the negative aspects of removing tuition and student debt, they also present points that agree with the “Millennials” and the “New Mexico” articles about relieving the financial burden off of the students. The College Raptor article mentions that students that complete college without having to look forward to paying upwards of $10,000 in debt would more likely be able to “buy houses rather than renting apartments. They might buy cars, spend more on healthy food, travel more: In essence, they could contribute more to the economy” (College Raptor).

To answer the never ending question of whether or not college should be free to all, I must consider both sides of the spectrum: the positives and the negatives. I must look at all possible outcomes and consider the impact as a whole to the country whether it be good or bad. Generally speaking, for the benefit of the nation and it’s so called democratic government, to have an educated populace would greatly benefit political participation since a college education would provide them with educational reasoning and historical context needed to understand the underlying economic and social issues within our government system. Without a doubt I also believe that allowing everyone to receive a college experience will present everyone who chooses to participate with an equal opportunity to indulge in different ethnic backgrounds and perspectives allowing for a more diverse general thought. Thirdly, I believe that college is no more than an extension of your elementary and secondary school journey that most likely were free. From one step to the next, why should financial situations prevent one from continuing their journey as they move on to a higher level of education. Lastly, I am convinced that without a higher level certification one cannot simply make it in today’s workforce. With the world constantly evolving and advancing, a shortage of individuals who have acquired the crucial technical skills for skilled positions is possible. As time goes on, it is proven that a college education has become a much needed necessity nowadays to fill such positions.

In my opinion, education is fundamental for individual and national prosperity. We live in a profoundly focused, worldwide economy, and if our economy is to be solid, we need the best-taught workforce on the planet. We won't accomplish that if, consistently, a huge number of brilliant bright individuals are tasked with the objective to scramble enough dough to head off to college or while millions more leave school profoundly neck deep in debt. We have to figure out a way to guarantee that each individual in this nation who wishes to attend a university can get the aid that they need or want, without worrying about being in debt. The time has come to expand on the progressive movement of the previous decades and finally make public universities and colleges cost free in the United States — an advancement that will be the primary driver of another period of American success.