Dear future president,

Soaring tuitions and student loan debts are placing higher education beyond the reach of many American students. Some might object that the average American should not have to pay for students from wealthy families to go to school. But with $1.3 trillion in student loans, Americans are carrying more student debt than credit cards or auto loan debt. That’s a tragedy for our young people and for our nation. Many people have very passionate opinions on this matter, but my proposal is to lower college tuition. It’s time to make college accessible to all.

It may seem hard to believe, but there was a time when higher education was pretty close to free in this country, at least for many Americans. According to Commonfund institute, the inflation rate for colleges and universities was 2.3% for the year 2011, more than double the rate for 2010 and reversing a decelerating trend that began in 2008. I do agree with Hillary Clinton's agreement stating, "Students should never have to borrow to pay for tuition, books, and fees to attend a four-year public college in their state under the New College Compact. Pell Grants are not included in the calculation of no-debt-tuition, so Pell recipients will be able to use their grants fully for living expenses. Students at community college will receive free tuition."

The benefits of lowering college tuition fees include the fact that higher education is often a standard job requirement in many fields, but also that the lower tuition costs increase the accessibility of education, which in turn creates a beneficial economy. Some disadvantages are that if tuition continues to increase, students will be more discouraged to go on to college. Even with grants and other kinds of scholarships, students still will have a lot to pay for. In my opinion, college administrators are often reluctant to reduce tuition since families tend to believe that lower costs means lower quality.

Put this into thought, the most prestigious schools in the country charge thousands of dollars to match. All the schools in the upper section are priced according to standards, and schools who are trying to build their image often increase their prices to match top ivy league schools. The quality of the school is known to be great because the price is so high. If more and more families put their dollars behind universities that are making an effort to reduce costs while at the same time increase educational quality, more colleges will change their ways.

Congress needs to pass legislation that will prevent university costs from bankrupting the next generation of today’s youth. Besides, this country is one of the wealthiest in the world. We can afford to make college an option for every American family. After all, America's future is at stake. And nearly everyone agrees that education is one of the biggest factors that will determine the nation's fate into going forward.

Respectfully,

Sikyra C