Kelsey Story | Staff Writer
Going to college can be an exciting experience, but it is also expensive. One of the challenges that college students, even incoming freshmen, face today is expensive tuition. Some colleges are so expensive they can be unaffordable for students looking for a decent education.
According to the “Average Estimated Undergraduate Budgets, 2017-2018” on collegeboard.org, a public four-year college for in-state students costs nearly $9,970, and a two-year public school, such as community colleges, costs about $3,570. For a public four-year college for students living outside of state, the tuition and fees cost nearly $25,620, and for private four-year colleges it costs $34,740.
That is a lot to pay for an education. Imagine putting a lot of money in for a degree. Of course, there are scholarships and financial aids that help pay for your tuition, but without them, you would have to pay it all. It is actually frustrating for those who have worked very hard for their money.
However, free college education can be a possibility, and there would be some advantages in that. According to the article “Should College Be Free?” on trade-school.net, a free college education can help people to find jobs that pay them well or suit them, and they can receive money and spend it to pay taxes that will reach the government that help pay colleges. This benefits the people’s education and the government.
Another advantage of free college is that students would not have to worry about student loan debt, and they can pay their needs like housing, food, and textbooks. They do not necessarily have to be deep in debt. They can just enjoy their lives in college without worrying about financial crisis. Having a free education helps them to not rely on so much student loans.
Free colleges do exist in the world. In fact, there is already free college education in the U.S. From an article by Abigail Hess on the CNBC website, there is now free education for four-year public schools in New York. In order for students to get access to free colleges, they have to sign up for the Excelsior Scholarship, which helps those who make up to $125,000.
California officials are also thinking about free college. In the city of San Francisco, city residents can now enter the City College of San Francisco with the help of a city transfer tax that pools nearly $5.4 million annually.
Even Tennessee is offering free community colleges. According to the Tennessean article by Adam Tamburin, Governor Bill Haslam proposed Tennessee Reconnect, which helps residents without college degrees to enter community colleges. This is a great way for residents to start on their higher education.
Although most colleges would stay expensive, there is hope for a free education. Time after time, more students enter colleges later on, getting their degrees and entering a more educated workforce. In the future, most people could have a greater access to a college education.
