The average cost of college is around $38,270 per student annually which, for most, is difficult to afford. This raises problems for people with low incomes who want a good education.
College should be affordable for every student because it will increase more opportunities for students who can’t afford it.
First and foremost, approximately 53% to 85% of adults never went to college or dropped out primarily for the reason of college being way too expensive. If college would have been affordable then more people would end up getting the education they deserve. Even if college isn’t a necessity, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t beneficial for those who want to attend it. This schooling is known for leading to higher lifetime earnings, more job opportunities and it prepares you for the pathway in your career you want to achieve. However, by constantly having this worry of not being able to pay off college debt, it creates an emotional toll on students where it distracts them from their studying and classes. Not only is it affecting the students, but it is also affecting the economy as well in which loan debt causes new companies to decrease. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, “These high tuition fees don’t just affect students — they hurt our country’s economy, too. Student loan debt stops graduates from investing, starting businesses or even buying homes, with the number of young people that start companies steadily declining.” This shows how colleges should make their classes cheaper and more affordable for low income students in order to not only help them but the economy as well.
Many people believe that if colleges lower their cost in education then it would create a decrease in the quality of education and reduce money for campus improvements. Also, they say it would potentially reduce student motivation to graduate. However, colleges would still make the same amount of money due to more students attending their school in which the higher income students would still pay the amount they could afford. Instead of reducing student motivation, it would increase it. This is because of the ability for students of any income to attend a chance at a higher education instead of worrying about debt. This helps everyone have a fair and equal chance at college where it wouldn’t affect the college’s quality.
There are many ways that people can do that will create change. For example, one idea would be for the government to grant more money to colleges, so it wouldn’t be as difficult for students and parents. By spreading awareness to this issue, colleges would take notice of this and create better options for low income students.
Overall, colleges should be affordable for all students to create equal opportunities, to increase education among people and to strengthen the economy by lowering student debt.
