Should the Federal Government Fund all Citizens First Two Years at a College
Almost a decade ago, public high school in the United States became free. Consequently, more students joined secondary schools and enhanced their careers, which improved their lives and those of the others in the society. However, technological advances require more skilled workforce for the new industries emerging in the country. At the same time, more employers are seeking for college graduates to improve their organizational performance. On the same note, college tuition fees are rising while government subsidies are dwindling. Innately, this implies that more students cannot afford a college education thus locking them out of jobs as high school dropouts (Office of the Press Secretary, 2015). In essence, college education for the first two years should be free to increase the number of skilled workers in the US who would help in improving the economy.
Federal Government Should Fund Citizens First Two Years in College
In principle, the funding of the first two years of college education would increase college enrollment in the country. In reality, very many people are dropping out of high school because they cannot afford a college education. Nevertheless, allowing them to learn for the first two years would give then skills to look for part-time jobs, which they would use to subsidize their education during the last years of college. Subsequently, after graduation the students would access well-paying jobs that would sustain their lives and that of their families. Additionally, many students shy away from the college education because of debts accumulated through student loans. The program would reduce the amount of debts by half and encourage more students to take up the opportunities to acquire college degrees. On the same note, students could work during the first two years and save money to fund their last years in universities thus cutting the amount of debt. Notably, with the funding the students would be comfortable and increase their chances of acquiring better skills necessary for their careers. Fundamentally, the program is to offer free education to only responsible students who attain better grades. Therefore, uncommitted students would not be part of the program; hence, taxpayers’ money would not go to waste. All stakeholders need to play their part to achieve this dream of more college graduates in the US (Office of the Press Secretary, 2015).
On the other hand, if all the fifty states adopt the proposal they would save each student about $3,800 per year. In addition, the program would serve about nine million students every year. Notably, this translates to a considerable amount of money and, as a result, taxpayers have to foot the bill through increased taxation. Ideally, many people believe that the funding would be benefitting other people who are not family members. In essence, the working class did not enjoy these services during their education, and, as a result, they are subjected to unwarranted taxes. Every student should pay for their studies and save the taxpayers from bearing their unnecessary burdens (Calvert, 2015).
The United States needs college graduates more than ever to match the needs of the job market. Nevertheless, this cannot be achieved without providing affordable education to students. The government should pay for the first two years of college tuition to increase the number of graduates in the country. In essence, this would improve the economy and much the job market needs. An improved economy would result in more employment for graduating students and an improvement in the lives of the Americans. Importantly, the students would be taxpayers of the future after graduation. Therefore, free college education for the first two college years is ideal for American students.
Calvert, K. (2015). "PBS NEWSHOUR." Obama: Community college should be ‘as free and universal in America as high school.’ Retrieved 05 March 2015 from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/community-college-tuition-top-theme-state-union-speech/
Office of the Press Secretary. (2015). “The White House.” FACT SHEET - White House Unveils America’s College Promise Proposal: Tuition-Free Community College for Responsible Students. Retrieved 05 March 2015 from http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/01/09/fact-sheet-white-house-unveils-america-s-college-promise-proposal-tuitio