While many people view free college education as an equal opportunity for all students to learn, it comes with many cons. I know you might not share the same thoughts but let me explain something.
For many years now, many political campaigns have been forged to try and bring to law free college education. However, the policies have never been implemented to date in the US.
This begs the question; why?
This is because providing free college education would pose more of a disadvantage than an advantage. To many, it is better to pay for college than to receive free tuition. If you are not convinced, here are some of the reasons why college should not be free.
Sourcing Money From Other Avenues
Colleges require money to operate as they, too, need to pay bills and employees. They get the money from the fees paid, and without it, running operations would be impossible.
Thus, the money would have to come from somewhere else. The chances are that taxes would be increase for the high-class and middle-class people, and they would have less money in their pockets.
The tax charges would be subsidizing the rich as well, who can comfortably pay college fees. If not increased taxes, it means that the government would have to slash their expenditure in some sectors to fund colleges, and that would have a downward effect on other areas as well.
Overcrowding In Colleges And Long Waiting Lists
One advantage of not paying fees would mean many education-thirsty learners who cannot afford college would have an opportunity to further their studies.
On the other hand,
Colleges have an admission capacity that they must work with to provide quality education. When the students are too many, schools would be overcrowded, reducing the teacher-student interaction. In return, the quality of education might reduce drastically.
Likewise,
Evidence from countries such as Germany that have had free college systems shows that pupil funding does not match with the costs incurred by the institutions to achieve competitiveness at the global level.
Governments usually cap enrolment and per-student financing over time. They control the programs that students should take and the number of learners to join those programs.
Therefore, the quality of college education declines. Some learners also end up taking courses that they did not want.
It also takes more than four years to complete a 4-year course in some colleges because the classes are no longer available when needed. Such inconsistencies can be a source of discouragement for many learners.
Additionally,
Having too many students awaiting admission means that some would have to remain in the waiting lists once the college student threshold reaches.
What would this mean?
There would be no proper criteria to decide which student should wait and which should be accepted. The long waiting lists mean that some learners would be behind others in their academic calendar.
Also, when too many learners get admission and graduate, they might oversaturate some sectors of employment. Some employers might take advantage of this an offer lower payment rates as many graduates would be scrambling for fewer available jobs.
Developing Personal Responsibility
One more reason why college should not be free is so that students take their studies seriously. If college was free, then some students would not see the need to work hard and earning that degree.
Some would not attend classes or study, as there would be no value for money inspiration. The situation would be worse for students who can afford to pay the fees.
Most learners take loans to fund their studies, and that propels them to put more effort into their studies. They strive to get jobs after graduating so that they can service the loans.
Also, they want to complete college as fast as possible to avoid accumulated debts. Similarly, some learners have to work part-time as they study, and that makes them learn how to achieve a work-life balance early.
Appropriate Financial Management
For those who argue that educational debts are a significant burden, there are ways of raising college fees. For instance, most colleges try to help out even the lowest-income students to pay up.
They have generous state grants and scholarship programs that cater the tuition fees. A study by the Urban Institute report indicates that about 27% of learners benefit from these programs.
Hence, it is likely that making college universally free will help more well-off pupils who were not benefiting from financial aid. It is essential to be aggressive when it comes to the application of scholarships and grants.
Students need to apply to as many programs as possible to increase their chances of benefitting. They also need to apply keenly and within the given deadline to avoid missing an opportunity.
Panel members use the information you fill to determine if you are eligible or not, and it needs to be accurate.
This goes even without saying.
Free college education could also provide an opportunity for students to indulge in financial misappropriation. College life is full of learning experiences, and one lesson students learn is about saving.
Students have to know how to spend responsibly from the loans that they are given. Such behaviour is critical in adult life as people need to spend wisely and save.
Without fees payment, this experience would not be there. Some students would use the cash loans to party or buy gifts and other unnecessary expenditures.
Closure Of Private Colleges
Free education in public institutions would also lead to the closure of many private colleges. That is because these institutions rely on tuition fees, alumni donations and endowments to survive.
Without them, the schools would be left with no option than to close. Besides, there would be fewer job opportunities for lecturers, and many great programs would have to close.
Private colleges offer a range of unique and marketable courses that are worth paying for, and it would be a significant loss to the economy if they closed down.
Conclusion
The article provides persuasive reasons why college should not be free. These include lowered education quality, increased taxes, lack of student motivation to study, oversaturated colleges, closure of private institutions, and reduce job opportunities for professors.
Why College Should Not Be Free reasons?
College should not be free as this can devalue the degree as it it would be easy for anyone to get it.
What would happen if college was free?
Basically if college was free this would mean that anyone with the necessary qualification would afford to go to college which would devalue the higher education and eventually lead to overcrowding in the employment sector.
What would happen if college was free?
This would translate into a poor academic track record of community college attendees, the potentially very negative economic growth implications from financing so-called free college, and even some fairness issues.
Why College Should Be Free reasons?
This means that low income earner would be able to afford college.
