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FREE COLLEGE

Should college be free for everyone?

Raissa Guewou

Chamberlain College of Nursing

PHI347: Critical Reasoning

September 5, 2021

Should college be free for everyone?

I choose free college for everyone for the class assignment.

The three aspects I will discuss in this paper are the social economic status of students on enrollment, the opportunity for everyone to better their self for the wellbeing of the society, and lastly the student debt.

Attaining a higher education can boost the economy and well-being of people's lives. Nowadays, the U.S gives more attention to education and sees the importance of higher education in terms of improving the country's economy and a better living standard of society. The affordability of college education and the student debt-related issues is becoming a controversial issue among candidates during election time. The cost of tuition brings more states together on offering free public college. However, some opposers respond to the free college program plan as it will be an abusing of public money and the offer must be for the students who are really in need.

Aspect 1: The social economic status of students impacts the enrollment.

A lot of students are willing to attend higher education to impact their family and the society positively, but they do not have the economic means to achieve their dreams. The increasing college cost and economic development is becoming a big factor in the decrease in college student enrollment. Breuder states that Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam signed a promising agreement to make community college completely free; therefore, the Tennessee number of student enrolment increased by one third, and through this plan, it is expected to increase by 55 percent.

Aspect 2. Social wellbeing.

Nowadays, college is becoming a way to open economic prosperity for middle-level societies. College is becoming a necessity not luxury for individual economic opportunity and to be competitive in this world. Free education is necessary to help poor students, to develop a good higher educational system, for the “preservation” of open-minded and prosperous society for the fulfillment of great social well-being” (Amen A. Alchian)

Aspect 3. Student debt: The cost of education worries everybody. The rapidly increasing educational fees become a major obstacle for students to continue their education. According to Sara Gold rick and Nancy Kendal, in the report “Redefining college Affordability” “In 2015, the total amount student loan debt in America was estimated to be about $1.3 trillion (over 39 percent higher than it was just four years earlier).The student loan becomes an issue for borrowers and individuals. The problem associated with impacts borrowers and student’s life after they graduate.

References

Alchian, A. Amen, “The Economic and Social Impact Free Tuition” Liberty press, Indianapolis 1977: www.msubllings.edu.

Breuder, Robert L, “Community Colleges Should Be Allowed to Offer Four Year Degrees,” what Is the Future of Higher Education? Edited by Roman Espejo Press,2015. At Issue. Opposing viewpoints in context, Website Accessed 2020.

Gpldbrick-Rab, Sara, and Kendall Nancy,” Redefining College Affordability.” Lumina Foundation, Website last visited 2020.