Dear Future President of the United States,

Education is a fundamental part of our great nation. The United States was in part born out of ideals of the Enlightenment Age and a desire to learn and grow freely. Now, however, these ideals are suffering. Fewer people are able to afford the exorbitant, rising costs of a secondary education these days and, therefore, do not have access to the opportunities we pride our country on offering.

There may be concerns that lowering the cost of college would cause these institutions to suffer or for professors to take pay cuts. These are valid concerns. However, countries such as Germany, Sweden, and Canada have much lower college tuition, if not providing college free. The universities in these countries still function well and produce successful students.

For the youth of America, college presents a great mountain to climb. As a current high school junior, I am one such person facing a possibly crippling amount of debt from college tuition. As I have researched various universities I have seen how high the cost of tuition can be, as well as, added fees like books, housing, and meals. It is staggering.

My mother was a first generation college student, who payed her for her own tuition. When she attended UW Madison in the 1980’s, the cost of attendance for her was about $2,000 a year. This was not an easy task, and my mother had to balance her classes, homework, and job. This is a situation many young people still face today. Yet, it has become even more difficult, with college costs skyrocketing. At UW Madison today, in-state tuition costs approximately $25,000.

In this day and age, college is no longer simply a privilege, but a necessity. Without some sort of college degree, it is very difficult to be hired in any sort of job, other than those with low-pay and little chance of professional advancement. Because secondary education has become so imperative to success in the world, it is tragic how inaccessible it is to so many people.

By lowering the cost of college, many more intelligent young people would be enabled to serve our communities in meaningful and beneficial ways. We would also have a more educated public as current and future generations begin to inherit the responsibilities of American citizens and make decisions about our country. As president, one of your duties is to ensure the general welfare of the public. I beseech you to take into consideration the need for wider access to higher education in this country and work to put opportunities back into the hands of our youth.

With respect,

Elsa Z.