Dear Next President,

On average, it takes 21 years to pay off student loans, and that is only for a baccalaureate degree (Bidwell, 1). Many adults are far in debt thanks to student loans and the high cost of education. According to HowToEDU.org, high school graduates make on average $27,915 annually and those with a bachelor's degree $51,206 annually. That’s a $23,219 difference, and advanced degree holders make even more with an annual average of $74,602. While it might seem obvious that you would want to earn a degree, this decision is extremely difficult for many people and families because of the crushing debt that would trail behind you for many years. This is especially if you are of low income. “Only 6 percent of lowest income bracket have a bachelor’s degree” (Fitzgerald and Delaney, 2002). People can barely afford an education, meaning that people either have a lifetime of debt or no degree. I propose the lowering of cost in terms of college. This way, people can get an education and our country with be more intellectual and literate. 

I suggest cutting the amount of taxes spent on military in order to spend this money on college funds. $601 billion is spent on military a year while only $62.6 billion is spent on college (Skye Gould and Jeremy Bender, 1) (Gibson, 1). I feel like If this were to happen perhaps America would become a place of knowledge rather than war.

Sincerely,

Haley Moore, from Colorado STEM Academy