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RayGrant
JasonRoberts
English1010
PositionSynthesis
April10

InAmericawecanallagreethatcollegetuitionisveryexpensive.Infact,in
recentyearscollegetuitioninAmericahasrisentremendously.Thisisleavingcollege
studentslikemewithmoreloans,longhoursofworkandmuchlessstudytime.This
alsocausesmoststudents,includingme,totakemuchlongertofinishtheirdegree,and
otherstostopgoingtocollegealtogether.Collegetuitionisaffectingmillionsofstudents
andleadstounequaleducationforthepoorandhardworking.Americaneedsamore
equalcollegeeducationfinancialsystem.
Manypeoplecomplainabouthowcollegetuitionisrisingyearafteryear,and
theyarecompletelyright.AstudydonebytheNewRepublicshowsadiagramoftimea
student'sspendsworkingtopayforcollegetuition.Itshowsthatin1979ataminimum
wageof$2.50itwouldbealittlelessthanonesummeror385.5hourstopayoffone
yearoftheaveragecollegetuition.However,itthensayshowtodayataminimumwage
of$7.25itwouldtake2,229hourstopayoftheaveragecollegetuitionforoneyear,and
accordingtothisstudytheaveragefulltimeworker2000hoursayear,meaningthat
youwouldhavetobeworkingmorethanfulltimejusttopayforyourtuition.(New
Republic)Nottomentionthetimeyouneedtostudyoractuallybeinschool.Ifnothing
isdoneaboutthiscontinuousriseoftuition,collegewillbecomesomethingoutofreach
ofmoreandmoreamericanstudents.Manystudentswillalsohavenochoicebutto
takemuchlongertogettheirdegree.Furthermore,thisincreaseoftuitionisleadingto


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lessandlessstudentsgoingtocollegeandgettingadegree,andthisisthecorecause
ofunequalcollegeeducationinAmerica.
Weallknowthattherearemanyprogramsthatthegovernmenthastohelp
studentsthroughcollege.Oneofthemajorprogramswehavetodayisthefinancialaid
orFAFSA

program.However,therearemanyreasonswhythisprogramisvery
insufficient.First,thefinancialaidprogramdoesnotcoverawideenoughrangeof
students.Accordingtofafsa.ed.govstudentswhosehouseholdincomeislessthan
$50,000ayeararequalifiedforfinancialaid,howeveritisstudentswhosehousehold
makelessthan$20,000ayearthatactuallyhaveachancetoreceivethisaid.Sothe
problemisntthattheydontqualifyitisthattheyhavesetalowerqualificationthatwill
receivetheaid.Secondly,theprogramdoesnottargettherightstudents.Throughmy
ownexperience,Ihavelearnedthattherearemanystudentsworkingveryhardin
collegetogetthebestgradestheycan,andtherearethosereceivingtheaidwhoonly
carestopasstheclassratherthandotheirbestintheclass.Finally,thefinancialaid
programleadstolessmotivation.InthearticlePanelCallsforRemakingStudentAid
Programstheauthor,CaraleeAdamsexplainsthatthereductioninstudentmotivation
isbasedontheideathatstudentswhodoreceivefinancialaidhaveeverythingpaidfor
themregardlessofiftheygetagoodgradeorjustapassinggradeandthatfinancialaid
maynotbetargetingtherightstudents.Forexample,thestudentswhoreceivefinancial
aidaremuchmorelikelytonottryashardintheclassbecausetheydidnthavetopay
fortheclass,andtheonespayingaretryingtogetthemostoutoftheclass.Thisagain


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showshowunequalitistothosewhojustcantbequalifiedforfinancialaidandhaveto
workhardhoursfortheireducation.
ManypeoplesuchasJonWienerinhisarticleAimingHigher:MakingCollege
TuitionFreestatethatAmericaneedstoabolishtuitionaltogethermakingcollege
tuitionfree.

Wewouldnotbethefirsttogivefreetuition,Germanyhasgivenfree
collegetuitiontoallcolleges.Alsomanycountrieshaveeitherfreecollegeeducation,or
extremelylowtuition.ThesecountriesaremainlyinNorthernEuropeincluding
Denmark,Finland,Iceland,Norway,andSweden(
Wiener
)
.

Therearemanybenefitsfor
thissystemofeducationfunding.First,makingcollegetuitionfreewouldalloweveryone
richandpoortoattendapubliccollege,eliminatingtheunequaleducationalsystem.
ThiswouldalsoputanendtothegrowingstudentdebtthataccordingtoJonWieneris
nowover$1trilliondollars.Furthermore,thisplanwillalsohelpthosewhocantpayfor
tuitiontogetadegreeincollegeandfindajob.Overallfreetuitionseemslikeagreat
idea,howevertherearemanyproblemsthatthisbrings.
Themainproblemwiththisplanisthattaxeswouldshootup,andcouldoverall
hurttheeconomyandthepoor.AccordingtoChadMillarsarticleHeadsUpAmerica:
FreeCollegeDoesntGetYouWhatYouWant,freecommunitycollegetuitionwould
costmorethan$80billionfor10years.Nowthatisanextremeamountthatwouldhave
tobefundedthroughourtaxes.Chadalsomentionsinthisarticlethatonly$32billionof
thiswouldhavebeenusedonstudentsthatwouldactuallygraduatewiththeirdegree.
Meaningthat$48billionwouldbelostonstudentsthatmightnothelptheeconomy.
Freetuitionwouldalsocauseforalackofmotivationaspeoplewouldseeitas


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somethingtheyexpectedtodoratherthansomethingtheygettodo,andwithouthaving
topayfortuitiontherewouldbenolossinfailingaclassordoingtheminimum.Therefor
freetuitionisagreatideaandastepforwardtoequaleducationbutwouldbeavery
ineffectivewaytoteachstudentsandspendbillionsofdollarsoftaxmoney.
Nowtherearemanyplanssuggestedtohelplowerthecostofcollegetuition
suchashavingthegovernmentpayforthefirst2yearsofcollege,higherscholarships,
andevenjusthavingthegovernmentflatoutpayforallcollegesintheU.S.(
Wiener
).As
itsuggestsinthearticleTalkingTuitionthatwecanallagreethatweneedsometype
ofplan(
Fillion).
Anyoftheseplanswouldhelplowerthecostofcollegebutweneedto
considerhowmostallofthemwouldalsoraisetaxestremendously,andinAmericathat
isareallybigdeal.
ThereisanewplanthatwaspresentedbyPresidentObamathatwouldmake2
yearsatapubliccommunitycollegetuitionfree.Thisisaverythoughtoutplanandin
thearticleTheRealityofFreeCollegeCommunityCollegeTuition,theauthorstates
howthisplancouldbeaveryhelpfullplanformanystudents.Shealsosayshowthis
planwouldcostmuchlessthanmanyotherplansbeingsuggested.
However,inthearticleHeadsUpAmerica:FreeCollegeDoesntGetYou
WhatYouWantTheauthorChadMilleropposingthisplan.Chadexplainshowthis
planwouldcost$80billionover10years.Hegoesontoshowhowonly39%of
studentsattendingpublic2yearcollegesactuallyendupcompletingadegree.
AccordingtoChad,Obamas2yearcommunitycollegeplanwouldbelosing$48billion


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tostudentsthatwillnevergetadegree.FromthiswecanseethatevenObama'splan
wouldbeinsufficient.
Weneedaplanthatwouldhelponlythosewhoworkhardincollegeandget
goodgrades,ratherthanthosethatonlygotopasstheclass,andwhilefinancialaid
helpsmanypeopleincollege,manypeopletakeadvantageofitandtendtonottryas
hardbecausetheydonthavetopaytuitionatall.Wewanttonotonlyhelpcollege
studentstopayfortheircollegebuttoencouragethemtodowellincollege.Oneofthe
bestplanswouldtobetopayeachstudentbasedonthegradetheygetattheendof
thesemester.ForexampleifyouweretogetaAinaclassyouwouldgetfreetuition,
andifyouwheretogetaByouwouldhavetopayforonly25%ofthetuitionandifyou
gotaCyouwouldpay70%.However,ifyougetlowerthanthat,youwouldhavetopay
fullprice.Thiswaymanystudentswouldbemoreseriousinclassandoutofclassto
gettheverybestgradetheycan.Toalsomakeitaffordabletotaxpayerswewouldonly
dothisforcommunitycolleges.Thiswouldimprovethestudentsmotivationtodowellin
classandalsomakecollegeaffordableforthosewhoreallyneedandwantitwithout
raisingtaxesveryhighatall.
Therearemanypeoplethatopposeanycollegefundingbecausetheyarguethat
itwouldbeawasteoftaxmoneybutwithaplanlikethiseverytaxdollarwillbeusedfor
ahardworkingstudent.
Withoutaplanlikethisstudentswillcontinuefacingtheriseof
tuitionyearafteryear.Asoftodaytheaveragecollegestudentplansongoingtoschool
forabachelor'sorhigherfortheirdegree.Ifyouweretogotocollegefulltimeallyear
youwouldfinishin4years,withanaveragestudentdebtof$30,000dependingonwhat


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fieldandcollegeyouwentin.Although,moststudentloansstillhaveinterestandthe
longeryouwait,themorefeesandoveralldebtyouwillhaveandoftentimesyoucant
makepaymentswhilegoingtoschool.Thiscausesmanystudentstostopgoingto
collegeentirelyandworkuntiltheirloaniscompletelypaidoff.However,ifyoudecideto
gotoschoolparttimeandworkenoughtopayforyourtuitionyouwouldonlybeableto
takeonesemesterayearandworkingtherestoftheyeartopayforcollegetuition,
books,rent,andbasicneeds.Ifyouplanondoingthisforabachelor'sdegree,itwould
takeover10yearstofinish!
Inconclusion,ifthegovernmentwouldfundaplanbasedongradesliketheoneI
described,itwouldleadtogreatperformanceinstudentsallaroundtheU.S..Bypaying
studentsbasedontheirgradestudentwouldhaveawonttonotonlypassaclassbutto
dotheverybesttheycanintheclass.Thiswouldalsoleadtoahigheramountof
studentsfinishingtheirdegreesandworkinginoureconomy.Thiswouldalso
encourageotherpeopletogotoschoolintheU.S.whichwouldleadtomore
businesseshereandwouldreallyhelptheeconomy.Americawouldbefilledwith
educatedpeople,improvingthestandardsoflivingandhelpingthiscountrytoprosper
andgrowfinancially,economically,andintellectuallyremakingtheAmericandream.


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WorksCited:
ADAMS,CARALEE."PanelCallsForRemakingStudentAidPrograms."
EducationWeek
.

31.31(2012):5.
AcademicSearchPremier.
Web.27Apr.2016.

Cubberley,Fran."TheRealityOfFreeCommunityCollegeTuition."
JournalOfCollege
.

Admission
227(2015):2123.
AcademicSearchPremier
.Web.25Apr.2016.

"CanYouWorkThroughCollege?."
NewRepublic
246.11(2015):11.
Academic
Search.

Premier
.Web.25Apr.2016.

fasfa.ed.gov

FILLION,ROGER."TacklingTuition."
StateLegislatures
42.3(2016):1419.
Academic
.

SearchPremier
.Web.25Apr.2016.

WIENER,JON."AimingHigher:MakeCollegeTuitionFree."
Nation
300.14(2015):
.

224226.
AcademicSearchPremier
.Web.25Apr.2016.

Shapiro,D.,Dundar,A.,Yuan,X.,Harrell,A.&Wakhungu,P.K.(2014,November).
.

CompletingCollege:ANationalViewofStudentAttainmentRatesFall2008


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Cohort(SignatureReportNo.8).Herndon,VA:NationalStudentClearinghouse

ResearchCenter.