Dear Future President,

As a senior in high school, I am beginning to think more and more about my future: going to college, debt, going to grad school, debt, and of course studying abroad, debt. Whenever I begin to think about my future, debt always comes to mind and I become terrified for I know that it is going to be a prominent aspect of my future. I want to be able to pursue my dream of going to school and becoming a veterinarian, but how can I consider this a dream knowing I will be spending many years of my life in debt? I know that there are student loans and financial aid and scholarships and life savings but that surely is not enough to pay for the excruciating cost of college. I believe that college tuition is far too expensive, and it should be lowered by better funding universities.

The cost of college tuition is way too high. The average annual cost of in-state tuition is $9,410 and out of state is $23,893, which is not including room and board. So already my options are being limited to attending an in-state university because it’s what I can afford most. Just like in the previous sentence, college tuition often makes people rethink their ability to go to a certain school or even go to school in general, which should not be the case. On top of this high cost, tuition is still on the rise! Since 1971, college tuition has nearly doubled, and one can only imagine that it's going to get worse from here. Because of this rising cost, 48% of grads who are paying off their student debt say that this has contributed to their anxiety. I am not even in college yet and I constantly worry about the debt that is soon going to consume my life. College tuition causes so much panic and distress because many(including me) fear and or struggle to pay the expense. This is why I believe that the price of college tuition should be lowered.

Ultimately college tuition is way too expensive and to lower this high fare, universities should receive better funding. Colleges are constantly renovating and adding new(and expensive) things on campus, and to make up for these costs tuition typically rises. This is because funding to these universities is minuscule, with more revenue coming from tuition than from funding. This is making college much less affordable for students and causing panic among many. This is a problem that I feel has consistently been placed on the back burner, and should really be addressed throughout your four or eight years in office.

Sincerely,

Nolan Tollefson