Dear Future President,

The constant rise in college tuition is very concerning to many people who are going to college or someone who wishes to go to college soon, like me. It is essential that people realize that every time the price of college rises, fewer people attend college and obtain a higher education. There should be organizations through the government set to help pay for the expenses of college. Increased government funding would give more people the opportunity to get a college degree and not worry as much about debt, which could ultimately help the economy flourish and affect taxes.

Every year, more and more students drop out of college for many different reasons, and a major reason is because of the cost. Prices have been constantly rising and no one knows how high the prices will be in the future. This issue is very concerning to me and families throughout the United States because we are all afraid that many students will not be able to attend college. The high cost as the only reason someone is not able to go to college is completely absurd. In many cases, where you go to college can have a big impact on your future and how you live. If someone has the academic abilities and the right mindset to go to a selective college, the cost should not be an issue because this person could end up being a positive asset to the college or the place they could end up working. Young people should have the opportunity to receive a quality higher education, enter the workforce, and contribute to the economy.

The words “free college” can blindside someone to make them believe that they are going to college without having to pay. Free college is not free because “it simply shifts costs from students to taxpayers and caps tuition at zero”(Kelly). Free college is paid through tax dollars and the more people that want to attend these “free colleges” the more taxes United States citizens have to pay. Public funds are challenged to keep up with the amount of students choosing these colleges, so schools are turning applications down. Many community colleges have had to turn people down, for example, “California’s community colleges turned away 600,000 students” (Kelly). If college tuition was not so expensive, then there would be fewer people going to free college and public funds would be able to keep up. Also, if college tuition was less, then everyone could save more money because taxes could possibly be lowered.

On the other hand, making college tuition cheaper could actually increase taxes and decrease jobs. If college was cheaper that could mean that the government would have to put more money into the higher education fund. Many people do not understand where that money comes from though. Government money for education comes from taxes, so logically if colleges were cheaper that would mean that there would be a larger education fund for college students and taxes could increase dramatically. For colleges to keep their costs low, they would have “to cut back on full-time faculty and increase the use of adjunct or part-time professors” (Roos). Many people could lose their jobs and students would “worry about sacrificing the quality of the education” (Roos) with the loss of full-time professors. People should not have to worry about losing their job or not having the amount of resources they need to succeed. Thus colleges continue to put more and more money into upgrading their facilities and staff in order to help the students be successful.

Government funding for higher education is necessary in order to help young adults worry less about their future. The fear of debt is a major concern among Americans and a lot of that debt comes from student loans. The more debt a person has, the less they can participate in the economy. By raising taxes, college could be affordable to more people, which would result in less debt for students and parents. Personal debt creates a roadblock in the flow of economy. Affordable college would allow students to graduate, begin their career, stay on their feet financially, and participate in the growth of the economy.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Morgan

Future college student