Argumentative Essay: Should It Be A Free Community College
Finally I know the idea of free tuition for community college sounds magical for students and trust me I speak from personal experience. Just to think about not feeling stressed over failing a class that I dont get right away is great. It is hard for a student to say no to free tuition, but I believe the student should look into what the cost will be in the future and not the present. The have-nots already can get free college, so why pay for the one who can and go into more debt? We will go into large debt and become in more trouble than we already
Free College Could Help Close The Opportunity Gap
The old adage that you need to have money to make money applies to the current U.S. higher education system. While federal financial aid and scholarships help students afford college, these resources may be challenging to access and understand, particularly for first-generation college students who need them the most.
Under Bidenâs plan, only students whose families make less than $125,000 a year would be eligible for free college tuition.
The opportunity gap leaves behind minority and low-income students at every education level. The inability to afford college is the last â and widest â gap. For prospective students who don’t have the guidance necessary to navigate existing aid options, universal free college could be a lifeline.
To ensure that free college tuition goes only to those in need, Biden’s plan follows Senator Elizabeth Warren’s by imposing an income limit: Only families making less than $125,000 per year would be eligible.
The concern that the wealthy will benefit from free college more than the poor arises in part from the fact that only a small percentage of first-generation and low-income students make it to graduation. Without the high premium placed on higher education, though, this trend could change.
States That Invest In Higher Education Lose Those That Spend Less Win
Using federal dollars to zero out tuition at public institutions counterintuitively rewards states that have chosen to appropriate smaller sums for public higher education and punishes states that more amply fund their public universities. In the 2018-19 academic year, the national average net tuition revenue at public universities for full-time equivalent students was $6,902.4 Using federal dollars to zero out tuition payments would require that sum per student to be set aside from the national tax base. Any state that receives more than that amount would get a net transfer from the tax basethat is, from other states.
Senator Bernie Sanders original plan from 2016 called for states to finance one-third of the amount, with the federal government picking up the other two-thirds of the tab.5 Using Sanders percentages, Figure 1 shows the states that would be net winners under this arrangement, in order from greatest net positive transfer at the top of the graph to greatest net negative transfer at the bottom .
Don’t Miss: Universities That Accept Low Gpas
Washington College Bound Scholarship Washington And The Seattle Promise
Washington has two main free community college initiatives.
The College Bound Scholarship is a last-dollar scholarship that covers tuition, some fees, and a small book allowance. Students in 7th or 8th grade from low-income families can apply.
Meanwhile, the Seattle Promise is a last-dollar program that allows graduates of local public schools to apply for a tuition scholarship that covers any remaining tuition balance for up to two years at any public Seattle college. If low-income students still need financial support for expenses beyond tuition, such as books, meals, or room and board, they can apply for the Seattle Promise Equity Scholarship.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for the College Bound Scholarship Washington, students must meet the FAFSA income eligibility criteria.
Seattle Promise scholars are required to have good academic standing, a stellar attendance record, and must meet with their advisor each quarter to remain qualified.
Should College Be Free: Pros And Cons
Many adults go throughout life without a college education, working at jobs that underpay and overwork. Even though everybody wants that American Dream, it cannot be achieved simply because of tuition cost. The cost itself adds unneeded stress on most people and make students doubt whether college is even worth attending. In the end, college
Also Check: What Is The Easiest College To Get Into In Virginia
Con : Free College Would Be Expensive
Some critics of free college say it would be too expensive to implement. If the idea of raising taxes is a no-go with you youre probably not a big fan of the free college idea. Some plans, such as the one Sen. Sanders proposed, would use a combination of federal and state funds to make public colleges tuition free. But many states have been slashing their higher education budgets, so some critics question how the money would be raised to pay for free college.
My Family : My Life In A Dysfunctional Family
getting better day by day after almost losing his life. Now my sister Janett in which I call Nina is my blessing she is the eldest sister and is also my best friend, my support system. She was the one of the few to graduate high school and go to community college, she motivated me to do better and not go down the same path my siblings did. Because I saw the life my brothers and sisters had it encouraged me to do better and have a bright and knowledgeable future, to make my mom proud and not continue
Read Also: Apple Music Student Discount Verification
Bidens Wrong He Should Help More Kids Get Into 4
In my long search for educators with the deepest understanding of what works for students from low-income families, few have impressed me as much as Eric Wolf Welch of Justice High School in Fairfax County, Va.
He is a veteran teacher who manages the Advancement Via Individual Determination program at that school. Sixty-six percent of Justice High students are impoverished, the highest percentage in Northern Virginia. AVID is one of the nations most effective efforts to raise the level of instruction for low-income middle and high school students.
So I was startled to discover that Welch does not support President Bidens plan to provide billions of dollars in funding to community colleges to make them tuition free.
The idea on the surface sounds logical, Welch told me. Community colleges serve thousands, often students from low-income backgrounds like my students, and they can be an avenue toward attaining a higher education degree and the benefits that come with that. But what Bidens plan does is lower expectations for millions of students in poverty across the nation. Why should our goal for low-income students be community college? The goal for all students should be college.
The data is overwhelmingly clear that four-year colleges allow students to pursue careers that lead to much higher lifelong incomes, he said.
Hawaii Hawaii Promise Scholarship
The Hawaii Promise Scholarship covers the tuition fees of students who are enrolled in at least six credits at a University of Hawaii Community College. This is a last-dollar program, meaning it covers financial needs not met by other forms of financial aids. It covers tuition, fees, books, supplies, and transportation for eligible students. Around 1,500 students received the scholarship in 2017-18, receiving an average of $1,200 each.
Eligibility Criteria
Residents of Hawaii who have submitted their Free Application for Federal Student Aid application can apply.
Recommended Reading: Best Way To Sell College Books
The Revolution Of Texas Revolution
Essay on Texas RevolutionTexas Revolution, a rebellion in late 1835 and early 1836 by residents of Texas, then a part of northern Mexico, against the Mexican government and military. The rebellion led to the establishment of the independent Republic of Texas. The short-lived republic was annexed by the United States as a state in 1845. These events were among the causes of the Mexican War between the United States and Mexico, after which Mexico relinquished all claims to Texas and much of the present-day
Reasons Why College Should Not Be Free
They say there are only two things you can be certain of in life, death and taxes. Well, we should strongly consider adding student loans to the saying.
Having school loans can literally put a handicap on your life. Some people have monthly payments that are the equivalent to a mortgage or a Bentley. Yes, you need college to get a job in Corporate America, but even union jobs and public service jobs are starting to require a minimum of a two year degree.
So, the argument stands as this if college is a must why is it not free?
The truth is, college should not be free unless you earn it.
Giving college away would be a waste of higher education, unfair to students, and would counteract the point of continuing your studies all together.
Why you ask? Well, let me explain.
Issue 1:
Not everyone wants to go to college. Some people have never liked school and if they can find other ways to be successful then more power to them but what about the students who dont care about being successful?
If people want to go to college and waste their time, its their time and their money that they are throwing down the drain. Now, if college had a swinging door, then it could potentially become a continued annoyance just like high school was. The worst part? Not learning what youre supposed to while youre in college can hinder you from getting a career in your desired field.
Issue 2:
Issue 3:
Read Also: How Many Majors Do You Take In College
The Argument For Tuition
Money is the basis of living , even people with lower income degrees could support themselves before the cost of tuition went up drastically. However, when you add student loans in the mix , debt over takes the standard of living. Ellison has heavy focus on this because he wants to highlight a big reason why free tuition can be beneficial for people in the long run. He believes if free tuition was put in place , every college graduate, lower income or higher income, will be able to live within their
Are There Better Alternatives
Maybe some kind of middle ground exists. Maybe making public colleges free for everyone isn’t the best way to solve the affordability problem. At least, that’s what some people believe. They point out that other options have been shown to work well and that those options might be a lot less expensive for American taxpayers.
For example, consider the possibility of an income-based repayment system. For some former college students in the U.S., that is already a reality. They are able to have the repayment of their student loans tied to a small percentage of their incomes. And if they earn below a certain threshold, then they don’t have to make any payments. After 20 to 25 years, whatever is left on their loans is written off, as long as they have consistently kept up with all of the payments that were due. The problem, currently, is that this option is only available to low-income people who can prove that they are experiencing financial hardship.
But what if loans with income-based repayment were available to every student? You would be able to attend college, university, or trade school without having to pay for tuition while enrolled. Then, after you left school, you would only have to pay an affordable percentage of what you earned . The more money you earned, the quicker you would pay off the loan. And if your income stayed low, you would have the peace of mind of knowing that your loan obligations would eventually expire.
Don’t Miss: Who Buys Used School Books
Is Free College A Good Idea Increasingly Evidence Says Yes
In just a few short years, the idea of free college has moved from a radical idea to mainstream Democratic thinking. President Biden made free college one of his core campaign planks, and one that the first lady has been promoting for years. In his recent address to Congress, the president also signaled that he is ready for legislative action on a scaled-back version of the idea as part of his American Families Plan.
Two weeks ago, the nonprofit College Promise led by Martha Kanter, who served as President Obamas undersecretary for educationalso released a proposal that will influence the free college debate.
In todays polarized environment, the free college idea stands out for its bipartisan support. A majority of self-identified Republicans has supported the notion of free college in some polls. In fact, one of the first such statewide programs was put in place by Bill Haslam, the former Republican governor of Tennessee. While this could go the way of Obamacare, which faced strong GOP congressional opposition despite the laws origins with Republican Mitt Romney, free college seems different. Bidens latest plan only applies to community colleges, which focus on career and vocational education of the sort Republicans support, as opposed to universities, which many Republicans view as hostile battlegrounds in a culture war.
Community College Students Need Better Options Not Free Tuition
WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 27: U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about updated CDC mask guidance on the … North Lawn of the White House on April 27, 2021 in Washington, DC. President Biden announced updated CDC guidance, saying vaccinated Americans do not need to wear a mask outside when in small groups.
On Wednesday, President Biden announced yet another multi-trillion dollar spending proposal: the American Families Plan. The plan includes almost $300 billion for higher education, with the single largest plank a $109 billion scheme to make community colleges free. This is a bad idea which solves one largely imaginary problem and does too little to address far more pressing ones.
Most community colleges are already affordable
The Biden administration argues that cost is a major barrier to Americans seeking a higher education. At four-year colleges, thats a real concern. But community colleges are a different story. At the average two-year public college, annual tuition is just $3,770. That figure has remained roughly constant for the last five years. Financial aid programs, including the Pell Grant, usually cover the full amount of tuition for lower-income students.
The real problem at community colleges
You May Like: Is Ashworth College Recognized By Employers
The Impact Of Free Community College
The then-Second Lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden, speaks at the launch of LA College … Promise in Los Angeles California, September 14, 2016. The program will provide graduates of Los Angeles Unified School District one year of tuition-free community college starting in 2017.
President Joe Biden is reportedly considering an ambitious infrastructure package as a part of his Build Back Better agenda to recover from the pandemic. That proposal includes a set of domestic priorities that are supposed to contribute to the recovery, one of which is tuition-free community college.
While critics may balk at community college being associated with infrastructure, it certainly will play a major role in trainingand retrainingthe workforce for economic recovery. But community colleges will likely play a role in helping to prepare workers for the jobs that would be needed and created from an infrastructure investment.
Others may ask what the benefits and costs of free community college might be. Luckily, there are many examples to look at to understand the impact of enacting tuition-free community college. According to College Promise, there are more than 350 college promise programs across the country today. This has provided a great foundation of research based on states and cities that have enacted some kind of free community college policy.
Rich Students Would Get Richer While Low
Much of the benefit of universally setting tuition and fees to zero will go to high-income families that have no financial need.8 Over the past three decades, families in the nations top income quintile have experienced earnings growth that has far outpaced increases in list price tuition, while lower-income families have seen rising tuition eat away at their earnings gains. Families at the top of the income distribution also own the bulk of the nations financial assets, and their children tend to graduate debt-free already. The Biden higher education plan would condition free college on family incomes less than $125,000. The plan would likely tie federal grants to states for free college programs to the income cap as a condition of receiving that federal support. Most other free college plans have no such income cap, preferring the simplicity of a universal free college approachand recent estimates suggest that up to one-third of a blanket free college subsidy could go to students whose family incomes exceed $120,000 per year, compared with only 8% to families making under $35,000.9
Recommended Reading: Colleges In Terre Haute
How Americas College Promise Would Change The Federalstate Relationship
Since the nations founding, American public education has been primarily governed at the local and state levels. The federal government has occasionally made forays into this territory, such as when it established land-grant universities in the latter nineteenth century.5 But over the decades, generations of state lawmakers have been mostly responsible for making independent policy decisions about what kinds of public colleges would be established, how they would be governed, and how they would be financially supported by their states. As a result, the United States has fifty-one systems of higher education that are often quite dissimilar. In some states, there are very few community colleges, for example, and in others, nearly every county has its own community college.
The variation in community college systems from state to state is reflected in financial aid and tuition pricing. Despite a movement for tuition-free college that has grown quite rapidly in recent years, some states lag well behind others, offering their lowest-income residents few or no pathways to an affordable college degree.6 This contrasts with the universal free-college policies of other advanced nations,7 and it ultimately makes U.S. higher education more difficult to navigate for those whose families have little experience with it.