Aiija

Olympia, WA

4, November, 2016

The Next President of the United States

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Next President:

College tuition prices in the US are out of control and they’re continuing to increase. I am a student in the 8th grade, and I find myself already pondering my future. I believe if we can lower the price of tuition significantly, or make it completely free, it would allow so many more students to be educated. Right now the United States is ranked 13th in terms of college prices, and in 2006, $19,000 was the average loan students had after graduating. College tuition is practically free in countries like Finland, Belgium, and Sweden, so if they can do it, why not us?

The nation is struggling with this issue for many reasons. The first is that some colleges are raising costs for unavoidable reasons. Schools need to keep up with the current technology which costs a lot of money. Also the cost of textbooks are three times more expensive than they were two decades ago. The problem is that most Americans are unable to afford college with the rising tuition. If they don’t attend, they find it much harder to find a decent job, that does not require a college degree. Now that times have changed it is no longer sufficient to only graduate high school. A four year degree has in most ways replaced the value of a high school diploma. Because of that, loans are the only option for thousands of students. The American Students Assistance reported that as of 2012 there was between $902 billion and $1 trillion in total student loan debt in the US! Studies also show that students who graduate with loan debt, are not as active in the economy as others. Students all across the United States need help affording their education.

If college tuition were free, or at least affordable, the world would be so much better off. For one thing, if the vast majority of our population was educated, than people would find it easier to find jobs and support their families. Careers that require an education also pay a higher salary, so I think less people would be homeless. I also believe Americans would be more determined to turn their life around, if they knew college was accessible to them. If we can find a way to make further education free, lots of our people will have so much better lives.

I understand this is a very complex problem that will not be solved easily. College will not become free overnight, but if this whole country wanted to make this change, it would be possible. One way this goal might be achieved is if the upper class Americans paid a tax or donated money to colleges regularly so that they would have funds to support their location. Also if the government gave education more attention and prioritized, we might find more money to support this issue. If everyone works together, the goal of free education can become a reality, and save so many lives from being thrown away.

The President should shed more light on this issue, so more people realize how serious it really is. If more people are aware of how much college costs, they may be more willing to help and get involved. Some people do not want college to be free because they fear it would cost too much money, and hurt the nation. However, making education affordable would impact so many people in a positive way.

Sincerely,

Aiija

Works Cited

Dominique, Jill. “Rising College Costs.” Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society, ABC-CLIO, 2016, issues.abc-clio.com/Topics/Display/1075584?cid=41. Accessed 4 Nov. 2016.

Driscoll, Sally, and Marlene Clapp. “Free College Tuition: An Overview.” Points Of View: Free College Tuition (2016): 1. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 4 Nov. 2016.

Kingsley, D. S., and Noelle Vance. “Point: Public College Tuition Should Be Free, Just Like High School.” Points Of View: Free College Tuition (2016): 2. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 4 Nov. 2016.