I plan to use Saturday's post to present my final opinion about free college tuition. However, I want to gain a full understanding of the different viewpoints about this issue. My studies will include any arguments you deliver via the comments section below.
I look forward to hearing what you all have to say.
For those of you looking to understand more about this issue, check out the top three democratic candidate's websites:
Hillary Clinton - The New College Compact: Costs won't be a barrier, debt won't hold you back.
Bernie Sanders - It's Time to Make College Tuition Free and Debt Free
Martin O'Malley - Debt-Free College
This would be great. But college isn't free. Someone's gotta pay for it. That would be government. In other words, taxpayers. All of us. Our national debt is growing. The only way to fix that is by some combination of decreasing government spending and/or increasing government income (taxes). We can't keep giving away freebies and going further into debt in order to pay for them. The current system provides free or reduced tuition for students from low-income families. For most people, the combination of choosing a less-costly school, working a part-time job and incurring a modest amount of school debt should work out just fine.
ReplyDeleteI feel like it almost doesn't matter. We're going to pay for it either way. Though, I do feel like for some jobs, they don't earn enough money to pay off the debts required for them. Some of those, like teaching and educational degrees, I think could be free.
ReplyDeleteOr pay educators more so they can afford to pay off their student loans like other professionals. Or make student debt forgiveness part of their hiring packages. That way the taxpayer is subsidizing those people who are teaching, rather than everyone who studies teaching, but may or may not choose to make it a career.
Delete"Free" is always tantalizing, especially if you're the one getting something for free. I'm curious to know how you students feel about the issue if you were to consider the long-term impact of free tuition. Would you rather: 1. Manage your own educational expenses now, perhaps by choosing a more economical school, working summers, qualifying for scholarships, and so on, including the possibility that you will have to pay back loans incurred to make ends meet? Or 2. Have your fellow citizens cover the cost of your education. Then, for the remainder of your working life, be responsible for subsidizing the educations of every student to follow in your footsteps.
ReplyDeleteI imagine that some of those students will be worth the investment. I also imagine that if you were to look around campus today, you may find a few students there on someone else's (mom's and dad's?) dime right now , who do not appreciate the investment that is being made in their behalf as they squander their time and opportunities. We often appreciate much more what we must earn for ourselves than what is merely given to us.
"Free" is always tantalizing, especially if you're the one getting something for free. I'm curious to know how you students feel about the issue if you were to consider the long-term impact of free tuition. Would you rather: 1. Manage your own educational expenses now, perhaps by choosing a more economical school, working summers, qualifying for scholarships, and so on, including the possibility that you will have to pay back loans incurred to make ends meet? Or 2. Have your fellow citizens cover the cost of your education. Then, for the remainder of your working life, be responsible for subsidizing the educations of every student to follow in your footsteps.
ReplyDeleteI imagine that some of those students will be worth the investment. I also imagine that if you were to look around campus today, you may find a few students there on someone else's (mom's and dad's?) dime right now , who do not appreciate the investment that is being made in their behalf as they squander their time and opportunities. We often appreciate much more what we must earn for ourselves than what is merely given to us.
Daniel and Whitney: great idea to use free tuition (or better yet, loan forgiveness) to encourage people to choose to become teachers!
ReplyDelete