1 How much students struggle with college tuition

2 Comparison of college tuition then vs now

3 Decreases students loan debt 

4 Benefits the US economy and society

5 Increases equality

The purpose of my interview is to determine if people think college should be free or not. My interviewee is my friend, Ayumi. Ayumi is a 17-year-old female. She wants to go to college and get a degree. My overall attitude towards her during the interview was intrigued by what she thinks about college tuition. She believes college should be free for everyone. My question was “How do you feel about college tuition?” She answered, “The college tuition is definitely more humble compared to other colleges, but still pricey.” I learned that no matter what college it is, the price still might not be affordable for everyone. 

I believe college should be free. It's expensive and not everyone can afford it. The college I want to attend is expensive meaning I would have to take out a loan to cover the expenses which wouldn't be ideal.   

Did you know that many college students struggle with college tuition? A survey by ScholarshipOwl found that 92% of college students struggle with paying for college. 51% of college students drop out because they are unable to pay for college. College tuition has increased as years go by and not everyone can afford it. That being said, college tuition should be free for everyone. 

In 1636, Harvard University was established and founded by John Harvard on September 8, 1636, in Cambridge, MA. It was the first institution of higher education in America. Back in the 1960s, public colleges were averaged to be about $243 per year. Private colleges were averaged to be able $1,815 per year. Now public colleges are about $26,027 per year and private colleges are about $55,840 per year due to inflation. Students and their families are struggling with college fees. Since fees are too expensive, students would have to take out loans to cover college expenses. Research says that free college tuition decreases student loan debt, benefits the US economy and society, and increases social equality.

Student loan debt will decrease if colleges and universities are free. Colleges should be free because “not all students and families can afford college” (Bouchrika, 2024). If not all students and families can afford college, it implies that they would either need to take out loans or take a gap year to earn money for college. Such would cause a lot of stress to the student. In addition to free college, “Students are coming out of college already buried under a mountain of debt before they have a chance to start their careers” (ProCon.org, 2022). Having that kind of debt causes students to experience anxiety and takes a large toll on their mental health. Therefore, student loan debt and stress would decrease if colleges were free.

Free college benefits the US economy and society. People who benefitted from free college in the past “contributed to the economy by buying cars and homes, and getting jobs after college” (ProCon.org, 2022). This helps the economy strive forward. Having a strong economy would mean higher employment rates, higher working wages, lower inflation, etc. Without student loan debt, students would have “the ability to earn, save and spend immediately, which could stimulate the economy” (Bouchrika, 2024). This would increase the money the student earns after college. As well as having more educated people understand the society and economy, “they may be more inclined to participate in politics and improve their country” (Nair, 2023). Society would progress at a faster rate with more educated people in the society. Therefore, free college benefits the US economy and society by having more money to work with. 

Furthermore, social equality increases if colleges and universities are free. Low-income students are “usually held back by the possibility of incurring huge amounts of debt, and opt not to pursue college” (Bouchrika, 2024). Not having enough money would mean that they are unable to pursue the career they desire. There’s a wage gap between non-college and college students. Free college would lessen the gap between low-income and high-income families. High-income families can already afford college because of that they will continue to get richer. While low-income families will continue to struggle with high debt or stay in low income due to college not being free. It would also “lessen undermatching, which occurs when students select colleges and universities based on financial needs” (Bouchrika, 2024). Low-income students would have more opportunities to attend college and pursue what they want. Therefore, social equality would increase and the gap between low-income and high-income families would decrease if colleges were free.

Although some experts might argue that students may not take their education seriously since they don’t need to pay to attend. This article states that, “Potentially millions of young people who have no business attending college would waste their time” (ProCon.org, 2022). In other words, the lack of dedication in the student to do well in college would decrease the graduation rates. However, Germany, France, and other countries that provide free college, “understand how debt-free education provides positive outcomes” (Nair, 2023). Having said that, students are able to choose from a wide range of programs and schools. They have access to high-quality education, and this helps boost the economy. 

Altogether, student loan debt would decrease, social equality would increase and the US society and economy would benefit if colleges were free. Having the student loan decrease would also decrease student stress. An increase in social equality would decrease the gap between low-income and high-income families. The US society and economy would benefit from more money to work around with. Hence, everyone should be able to attend free college regardless of economic or social status.

Bouchrika, Imed. “College Dropout Rates: 2024 Statistics by Race, Gender & Income ...” College Dropout Rates: 2024 Statistics by Race, Gender & Income, 31 Oct. 2023, research.com/universities-colleges/college-dropout-rates.

Bouchrika, Imed. “Should College Be Free? The Economic Impact of Free College | ...” Should College Be Free? The Economic Impact of Free College in 2024, 2 Jan. 2024, research.com/universities-colleges/should-college-be-free.

Hanson, Melanie, and Fact Checked. “Average Cost of College over Time: Yearly Tuition since 1970.” Education Data Initiative, 9 Jan. 2022, educationdata.org/average-cost-of-college-by-year#:~:text=College%20Costs%20in%20the%201960s&text=The%20average%20cost%20of%20attendance%20at%20any%20postsecondary%20institution%20grew,to%20%24323%20for%201969-70.

Hanson, Melanie, and Fact Checked. “Average Cost of College [2023]: Yearly Tuition + Expenses.” Education Data Initiative, 18 Nov. 2023, educationdata.org/average-cost-of-college#:~:text=The%20average%20cost%20of%20attendance,or%20%24223%2C360%20over%204%20years.

Nair, Madhu. “5 Reasons Why College Should Be Free-Debt-Free Education: Uopeople.” University of the People, 7 Dec. 2023, www.uopeople.edu/blog/5-reasons-why-college-should-be-free/.

Newland, Dominique. “Over 90% of College Students Concerned They Can’t Afford School ...” 92% of College Students Concerned They Can’t Afford School, 27 Aug. 2023, www.kvue.com/article/news/education/college-students-cant-afford-school/269-e4e9f407-8830-4932-ad22-ffb9799319ee.

ProCon.org. “Should College Be Free? Top 3 Pros and Cons.” ProCon.Org, 25 Aug. 2022, www.procon.org/headlines/free-college-top-3-pros-and-cons/.