How a Free College Education Benefits the U.S.

Students at Howard University in Washington, D.C. (Courtesy Photo)

During a conversation with my mother, she told me about her life as a young adult. When she was 18 years old, my mother wanted to be a speech language pathologist. However, she was only able to attend college for three years because of financial difficulties. 

When my mother attended college in the 1990s, inflation was rising. My grandparents, having paid for my aunt and uncles’ tuition, didn’t have enough money for my mother, the youngest of four siblings. Doing what they could, my grandparents financed my mother’s first year of college. She later transferred schools to get the education she wanted and pay the tuition herself.

Unfortunately my mom had to drop out of college before her senior year.     

MoneyThink.com says that more than 700,000 college students drop out each year due to financial reasons. That’s why college students in the United States should not be charged tuition. A free college education would produce a better workforce that could help the American economy grow and increase tax revenue. 

Denmark, Sweden, Mexico, Germany and Finland are examples of countries that do not charge college tuition. Education is viewed as an investment in the future of their countries rather than a way for the government, and banks to make money.   

Should college be free? 

Since the 1970s, the college completion rate in the U.S. has consistently seen a decline. Over the last decade, the average tuition at a four-year private college or university jumped to $34,740 a year. High school students with the best grades, particularly when they come from low-income households, do not usually go to the best colleges. Even though some might have been the most successful students, they often see little choice but to go to lower-rated, but more affordable colleges. 

That’s if they are able to go to college at all.

 After mortgage debt, student loan debt is the second largest debt category in the U.S.. College costs have increased student loan debt, giving college graduates a financial hole to dig out of when they start their careers. In 2019, student loan debt stood at $1.6 trillion nationwide. People facing that kind of debt often don’t have a lot of money to spend.  

Building a New Future

Without the weight of student loan debt, more college graduates might buy houses rather than rent apartments. They might buy cars, spend more on healthy food, and travel more. All in all, they could contribute more to the economy. 

Many more jobs today are knowledge-based or require advanced skills than in the past, to the point that there are sometimes not enough qualified people to fill these positions. That’s why a college education has become much more necessary than in the past to fill today’s roles. 

People getting better jobs would reduce other forms of public assistance. This then creates a more well-educated workforce and a population that has better critical thinking skills. Free college could lead to more innovation in all areas of society. 

We are wasting the U.S.’ brainpower that could be contributing to medical breakthroughs, economic advances, and leadership in all fields by charging for college. If we look into more scholarships and ask our congresspeople to pass a bill that helps lower tuition, we as a nation can start to change college education for the better.