Mather Saladin

Geist
HELA
2/18/15

Student Debt
A rising topic in the world today is the expenses of education. With hundreds
of students crippled by debt, the idea of free college seems like a necessity, but tuition
continues to rise. Several countries around the world have already standardized free
college educations for citizens, however this does not come without a sharp increase
in taxes. The current debate is whether or not these tax increases are worth free
education.
Student debt is a plague on 71% of graduating seniors in America, and that is
showing signs of increasing(The Institute for College Access & Success). The average
student graduates with $29,400 in debt, which, spread over 1.3 million students,
comes up to a total of $38,220,000,000 in student loans each year. The U.S. debt to
China could be paid off in slightly more than 32 years with that. Many students
decide that college is not worth the life long debt; 79% of high school graduates who
do not attend college say that it is due to a lack of affordability.
In October of 2014, the final state in Germany abolished tuition fees. This
means that college is free for everyone, including those in other countries. This has
shown a rise in attendance at German colleges, which in turn leads to a more educated

society and better jobs and standard of living. This could directly relate to the fact that
many consider Germany better to live in than America.
The major downfall of free tuition is taxes. Despite college being free to enter,
it would not be free to run. Funding for utilities, salaries for teachers, and money for
many other things must come from somewhere. The only major source of income
would be taxes, and a lot of them. Many Americans are enraged with the plethora of
taxes they already pay, so adding more would not fly. Germans, however, decided that
the extra taxes are worth it, so living in Germany and attending school for free comes
with increased taxes.
With everything in play, a free college program would provide a better
education for the general public, increase the standard of living, produce more jobs,
and countless other benefits, with the only downfall being higher taxes. Free
education systems have already been implemented, and run smoothly overall. Student
loans are fatuous and the millions of students still in debt deserve rectification.
Colleges seem prosaically apathetic towards these students, despite the fact that they
are the pediment of the youth of America

Works Cited

The Institute for College Access & Success. 2014.

The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.
Illinois Student Assistance Commission (Isac) Are Cost Barriers. Keeping Qualified
Students from College? (n.d.): n. pag. Web.