November 2, 2016

Dear President:

As we enter high school, we finally get the reality check that we need to start thinking about college. But the thought of going to college isn't just in the mind of the young high school student. The parents of those high school students have probably been thinking about getting their kids into college since the day they've been born. That's because the price of college has been rising for the past several years. The same goes for my situation. College is definitely a bare for not only me, but my parents. My parents have told me that they might not be able to afford college for my sister and me. They also have told me that there are some scholarships that I can apply for, but will it be enough to pay for the mass quantity of tuition? In my opinion, the federal government needs to do more to provide funding for college scholarships. The government needs to identify that student loans are too overwhelming for students, tuition is rising every year, and states are cutting taxpayer support for scholarships.

The federal government needs to identify that student loans are too overwhelming for students. Because of how much money college students need from student loans, college students have to delay important steps of becoming an adult. According to campusriot.com’s article, “Tuition Talk: Side Effects of College Costs,” they said, “85% of 2011 graduates will be forced to move back home.” I know when I graduate college I want to move into my own house or apartment and begin my career. But because of how many student loans I will have, I will probably have to stay with my parents until I can start paying off my debt. The federal government needs to help college students afford college tuition so we can start over new careers when we exit college.

But not only are student loans hurting students once they graduate, they are hurting students in the long term mentally. According to campusriot.com’s same article, they say, “48% of grads paying off school debt admit it's contributed to their anxiety or sleeplessness.” Not only are we getting hurt financially by student loans, our mental help is taking a toll. Personally, I try to get no less than 8 hours of sleep per night, but once I enroll in college, that will probably change. Not only will I be attending classes, I will have to get a job, I will start paying my own bills and housing, and I will have to pay my debt off at the same time. So with all these responsibilities, having lower tuition would definitely not only help me with my college education, but millions of other Americans.

But there is some doubt many people’s mind about how the government would a pay for these scholarships and loans. Yes, taxpayers would have to help out with these tuition funding programs. But according time.com’s article “College Board Says Tuition Rose Faster Than Inflation Again This Year,” it said, “prices are rising faster than inflation because states have been cutting taxpayer support for public colleges.” People are getting worried since college tuition is getting more expensive, people will have today more taxes. When really the only reason that for that is taxpayers are cutting support for it and putting the money somewhere else. So the federal government needs to help put more taxpayer money to college tuition scholarships.

With that being said, as president you need to help push for lower college tuition. High school and college students across the country are already under a lot of stress because they want to make sure they don't do something to jeopardize their education. So having the thought of not being about to afford college or student debt certain can take a toll on people physically and even mentally. In the end, we need to help the federal government in putting more money into helping out students across America.

Sincerely,

Ben