KeithCalhoun

English1124
Lacey
February24,2015
FreeTuition:AChangeAmericaNeeds
Inourmodernageyoudthinkeducationwouldbesomethingavailableat
everyonesfingertips.Unfortunately,duetotherisingcostofhighereducation,toomany
Americansarepricedoutoftheopportunitiesandcareersthatcomealongwithadegree.
Manyhighschoolgraduatesdreamofattendingtheirstateuniversityorevencommunity
collegebutduetovariousconditions,theyfallshortofthepricetagandareoftenleftto
trytomakeawayinthisworldoffofminimumwageandgovernmentaid.Itstimethat
CongressrelievesAmericanstudentsanddoessomethingaboutthehighcostsof
education.CommunityCollegeshouldbefreebecauseitwillallowmoreAmericansto
getahighereducation,itwillreducecrime,anditwillgivehopetostudentslivingin
subparconditionstodowellinhighschool.
AnAmericaneducationcomeswithaheftypricetagthatkeepsmanystudents
fromeverreachingtheirgoalsanddreams.Theygraduatehighschoolwithhopesof
movingontoaUniversityorCommunityCollegebutuponfurtherreview,theyrealize
theyvefallenshortofthefinancialexpectationcollegeshave.Evenwithgoodgrades,
theresonlysomuchaschoolwilldoforyouinscholarshipsandgrants.Obamahas
proposedaplantoCongressthatwillbringthecostofCommunityCollegeallthewayto
zero.

AccordingtoPresidentObamaonPBSNewsHour,Fortypercentofourcollege
studentschoosecommunitycollege.Someareyoungandstartingout.Someareolderand
lookingforabetterjob.Someareveteransandsingleparentstryingtotransitionback
intothejobmarket.Whoeveryouare,thisplanisyourchancetograduatereadyforthe
neweconomy,withoutaloadofdebt.ThiswouldchangethewayAmericansapproach
theireducationbecauseitgivesthemhopetodowell.
Therearestipulationsthough.Althoughitsafreeeducation,thereareguidelines
foracceptance.UndertheproposalPBSNewsHoursclaims,thefederalgovernment
wouldcover75percentoftheaveragecostofcommunitycollege.Theplancallsfor
statestopickuptheremainingquarterofthetabThiswouldmakeattendingahigher
educationeasierforAmericansanditprovidesanopportunityforpoorstudentsto
achievetheirdreamsandbeapositiveinfluencetotheircommunity.Alongwithmore
studentsachievingtheirhighereducation,thispositivechangeinthecommunitywill
reducecrimeandstreetviolence.
Crimeisadaytodayrealityforstudentslivingincommunitiesstrickenbylow
wagesandminimaleducation.Manyofthesecrimesareduetopeoplehavingnohopefor
gettingoutoftheirsituationthelegalwaysotheyturntocrimesuchassellingdrugsand
robbery.HavingafreeCommunityCollegeeducationsystemwouldhighlyreducethis
crimebecauseeducationhasbeenproventolowercrimerates.AccordingtoDavid
DemingfromEducationnext.org,weknowthatcriminaloffendersoftenhavelowlevels
ofeducation:only35percentofinmatesinU.S.correctionalfacilitieshaveearnedahigh
schooldiploma,comparedto82percentofthegeneralpopulation.Withthatbeingsaid,

whatiftheother65percentoftheinmateshadaneducation.IdorealizethisisforaGED
orfinishinghighschoolbutwhatifCommunityCollegewasfree?Wouldntthathave
givenhopetosomeoftheinmatestoworkhardandmakeitthroughhighschoolsothey
couldgoontoafreeCommunityCollege?Ifahighereducationwerefree,wedeasethe
prisonsystemandinsteadofhavingcrimeonthestreetthesewouldbegraduateswould
becontributingtoagreatercauseinthecommunity.
Alongwithprisoninmates,juvenilecenterswouldbenefitfromthisproposalas
wellbecausethebestwaytodefeatcrimeistostartyoung.Youngergenerationsare
malleable.Itseasytoswaythemandleadthemintherightdirection.Whileadultsmight
besteelwhichdoesntbendeasily,childrenarealuminumandbendable.Wecanguide
themintherightdirection,orinthissituation,guidethembacktocontributingmembers
ofsociety.Withafreeeducationtolookforwardto,thesejuvenilesmightbemore
willingtotryharderinschoolbecausetheyknowtheresalightattheendofthetunnel.
Nowratherthanstudentslimitingthemselvestotheireconomicorsocialstatustheycan
befreetoliveuptotheirfullpotential.Theycanstillhavehopebecauseitsnotadead
endafterhighschool.
AlotofAmericanssaythathavingafreeeducationsystemwouldraisetaxesand
costalotofmoneyforourpeopleandourgovernment.Pluswereinarecessionsowhy
wouldanybodywanttodothat.Incontrastthough,manyothercountries,mainlyin
Europe,haveadoptedthisnewideaandtheyareperformingjustwell.
Heresthetruth.Americahasquicklydeclinedontheamountofcollegegraduates
thatitsproducing.AccordingtotheBernardStarfromtheHuffingtonPost,theU.S.,

oncetheleaderinthepercentageofcollegegraduatesbetweentheagesof2534,has
droppedtonumber12outofthe36developednations.Nowthismaynotbecompletely
becauseoftheskyrocketingcostofeducation,butthatdoesplayalargeroleinit.
Germanyforinstancewashavingalackofeducatedpeopletofilltherolesofeducated
jobssotheymadecollegetuitionfreeandisnowstartingtoincreasetheirgraduaterate
greatlyandarefillingthosejobs.ThissameeffectcanhappenintheU.S.
Yesincorporatingsomethingnewisscary.Especiallyforourgovernment;they
workslowlyandprocrastinatejustasbadasthetypicalcollegestudentbutthisis
importantandmightbetheanswertoourdeclinednumbersofcollegegraduates.Maybe
notnextyearortheyearafterthatbuta5yearplantomakecommunitycollegeshould
beconsideredandimplemented.ItwillallowmoreAmericanstogetahighereducation,
reducecrime,andmostimportantlyitwillgivehopetostudentslivinginsubpar
conditionstodowellinhighschool.

Starr,Bernard."FreeCollegeIstheAnswertoOurHigherEducationCrisis."The
HuffingtonPost.TheHuffingtonPost.com.Web.24Feb.2015.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bernardstarr/freecollege_b_1222679.html>.

"Obama:CommunityCollegeShouldBeasFreeandUniversalinAmericaasHigh
School."PBS.PBS.Web.24Feb.2015.
<http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/communitycollegetuitiontoptheme
stateunionspeech/>.