Pros and Cons

Free public universities would also force private universities to lower tuition costs in order to make their school more appealing to prospective students. Lowering tuition of private schools would make education more affordable if one were to choose to go to a private university. The choice between public and private would still be similar for prospective students as it is today. Should one attend a public university for free, or pay for the associated prestige of a private university? At least this way there is an option for everyone and everyone has the opportunity to attend college.
One downside to federal funding of free education would be the likely increase in taxes. The money for such an ambitious program as free college has to come from somewhere. There are, however, some other sources of revenue that may ease such a tax increase. With education being free to American citizens, there would be no need for federal aid for individuals. Need based scholarships and grants would no longer be useful with tuition being free. The current system grants money to potential students on loans scholarships grantsan individual and need basis. Instead of money going to each student individually, the money could go to paying the college directly. Acting as a federal subsidy, the allotted funds for need based scholarships would go into funding public schools. Families would still pay less than if they were to pay for four or more years of tuition on their own.
The ensuing massive construction projects of expanding existing universities and possible building new ones would also help stimulate the economy. In order to accommodate the expected influx from making tuition free, colleges would have to increase the size of their facilities. These construction projects would help local economies and provide jobs and bring money to those who worked.
Of course, there would be an initial payout that either the state of the federal government would have to make for this plan to be a reality. However, education is well worth the investment by inspiring generations who will lead to innovation and prosperity. Not only would these students become the intellects and engineers of great ideas to come, but they will also become leaders and figures to follow in our society. It is crucial for people to understand and generate new solutions to the major social, political, economic, and environmental concerns that face today’s society. Many other countries have already enacted legislation that provides its citizens with free college education. Countries like Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, Finland, and Spain all have free tuition. Having already succeeded in other countries, legislators in America can study what works and potential flaws in the existing programs and work out a very detailed plan that could lead to a successful act of legislation here in the United States.

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One response to “Pros and Cons

  1. Pingback: Free Tuition? May NOT be a Good Thing | EscapeMinds

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