why we should pay for higher education

Higher Education and Independence

Higher education, like all other life passages, is similarly vital because it allows one to become independent, major in a field of interest, and ideally accomplish the required educational goals in a favorable setting (Denhart, 2014). A certain proportion of Americans believe that higher education should be free for the reasons mentioned above, as well as for a variety of other reasons. Unlike them, I believe that higher education should not be free, so this paper will detail three arguments in favor of my stance on the subject. It is true that many deserving students graduate from high school with appealing grades, but due to financial constraints and poverty, they are unable to cater for the cost of higher education (Sanders, 2015). However, it is highly challenging to deliver effective and quality education for free, hence students have to take their responsibility and chip in their fees. In most higher education institutions, scholarship, grants, and loans, all from taxpayers, are awarded to students annually (Ward, 2017). Hence, it would just be fair if the taxpayers are not overburdened with full responsibility of students who are much capable of chipping in for the remaining portion of the fee.

Shifting Problem to Other Sectors

Making education free would mean the economy would stand to benefit from the increased labor from high educated graduates. However, there are no readily available funds to sponsor higher education, meaning that the government has to strategize on where to get all these funds (Olson, 2017). Vital services like health, security and transport may be cut down to cater for education, and this is not fair at all. Cutting on whichever another service in the society is simply transferring the problem from education to the affected sector. This, thus, is not worth the effort as the available help from the government and student’s effort is sufficient enough to solve their fee issues as it the norm across America (Kohli, 2015).

Lower Education Standards

The government should ensure that each student learns and that the best of them get rewarded. However, abolishing fees in colleges would also mean lowering education standards in regards to the less serious and focused students (Luebke, 2016). Learners who toil hard to pay or top up on their fee are hardworking, motivated and independent unlike those who may be compelled to just attend school just for the sake of it as it is free. Paying fee for unfocused student or those from wealthy backgrounds is more of misappropriation of funds. It is within the human nature not to take free this with the value and meaning it deserves, and education is no different. There are many mechanisms established to help needy students, hence making it free does not change a thing for those who do not value it.

Conclusion

Irrefutably, it is without a doubt that education is the pillar of the social, political and more so economic progress that is witnessed in the US. However, despite the importance, making higher education free with have little to do with achieving the expected improvement. In fact, academic quality is likely to reduce when students just attend college because it is free and they have nothing better they would do with their lives. More so, cutting expenses from other vital sectors to support education is creating a problem in the society. Additionally, the government should not overburden the taxpayers with more issues whereas students can take up the responsibility of chipping into their fees on top of the grants, bursaries, loans, and scholarships that the government provides.

References

Denhart, C. (2014). Forbes.com. Retrieved 9 November 2017, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/ccap/2014/10/03/there-is-not-such-thing-as-a-free-college-education/#798c701a417a

Kohli, S. (2015). Why you can get free college education in Germany but not in California. latimes.com. Retrieved 9 November 2017, from http://www.latimes.com/local/education/community/la-me-edu-free-college-education-in-germany-but-not-in-california-20151029-htmlstory.html

Luebke, B. (2016). Why Free College Tuition is more of a Bad Idea. Civitas Institute. Retrieved 9 November 2017, from https://www.nccivitas.org/2016/16909/

Olson, G. (2017). The Unintended Consequences of Free Tuition Proposals. HuffPost. Retrieved 9 November 2017, from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/gary-a-olson/the-unintended-consequenc_b_14393674.html

Sanders, B. (2015). Bernie Sanders: Make college free for all. Washington Post. Retrieved 9 November 2017, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/bernie-sanders-america-needs-free-college-now/2015/10/22/a3d05512-7685-11e5-bc80-9091021aeb69_story.html?utm_term=.b7491139f11b

Ward, J. (2017). The unintended consequences of the ‘free college’ on New York’s for-profit universities. Brookings. Retrieved 9 November 2017, from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2017/08/08/the-unintended-consequences-of-free-college-on-new-yorks-for-profit-universities/