Should College Be Free? by Ngan
- Ondy Ho
- Jun 10, 2021
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 18, 2021
Education is indeed one of the basic needs a person requires, along with food, clothes, and shelter. People who get an education live a better and happier life than those who remain uneducated throughout their life. Moreover, education guides you on how to live a better life, using opportunities and resources in your surroundings.
However, education is not inexpensive. Quite the contrary, school expense is rising much quicker than swelling worldwide—numerous students throughout the planet face financial constraints with regards to going to school. “How can I pay the school bill? I’m in such a debt.”
The problem with education is not just an obstacle for a few groups of students. For example, it can happen to any people near us, or even ourselves. Since education is almost a need for all, shouldn’t it be free? -one of the most important questions in all kinds of educational entities and forums across the world. There are many countries where people aren’t able to get even primary education just because of poverty. Moreover, education can remove poverty, but how does a person get the desired education when he is poor?

Across many countries around the globe, there is an ongoing debate over whether or not college should be free. Although there are many benefits of having a free college education, there are also some drawbacks. The advantages and disadvantages of a free college education are extensively discussed in this article.
One of the most major benefits of a free college education is that it improves everyone's access to education. While high tuition fees create a substantial barrier to entry for higher education, there will be numerous ways for the general public to access a college education if they are no longer required to pay for it. Education is fundamental in all aspects of our daily lives, and greater public access to education can be regarded as a significant step toward improving our overall chances in life.

A free college education is vital for children from low-income families who would never afford a college education if tuition fees were too high. As a result, a free college education would be a real blessing for children from low-income families, as they would now be able to get a decent college education without having to pay vast amounts of money. Since education and financial resources are closely linked, children from disadvantaged families will be more likely to escape poverty.
The general public's average education standards will undoubtedly increase dramatically due to a free college education. People would benefit from such an increase in education in a variety of ways. People with such a better financial education, for example, are more likely to make better investment choices, which leads to higher levels of wealth over time. In several countries worldwide, there is still a significant wage disparity between professional and unskilled workers. Many low-wage jobs would be trapped in poverty as a result of the wealth disparities. However, if those employees are willing to obtain a decent education now that college is free, more of them will be able to leave their low-paying jobs to pursue higher-paying positions. As a result, improved education due to free college education could allow many people to escape from deplorable working conditions and gradually increase their wealth levels.
It is obvious from the previous discussion that there are numerous reasons for a free college education. However, there are several drawbacks to free college education. Critics of free education, for example, suggest that college should be seen as a significant investment in one's life and that it provides much more excellent potential job opportunities. People who want to go to college, on the other hand, should pay for it because their college degree will benefit them greatly in the future.
Another downside of a free college education is that the funds for it must be collected from elsewhere. Eventually, if college students stop paying for their tuition, the taxpayer would be the one to bear the cost. As a result, heavily taxed taxpayers to cover the expenses of a college education may not be considered appropriate because they do not benefit from the education of strangers. Thus, it's arguable if it's fair to put the responsibility of high college costs on taxpayers rather than on college students who directly benefit from their degree.
Suppose students do not value their free education, the likelihood of them being unmotivated rises dramatically. Assume you are a college student aware that your parents are paying a significant portion of your tuition. You'll be most likely be eager to study hard to repay them sooner or later. If there are no tuition fees, however, you are likely to be more secure and far less motivated to study hard because you know the financial strain on you and your family is negligible.
As I've shown, there are many advantages and disadvantages of having a free college education. In the end, whether college should be free or not depends on the interests of the general public. A viable option instead of free college tuition would be to reduce interest rates and prolong the repayment period on student loans so that they do not face a significant financial burden after they graduate. Through this measure, those who benefit the most from their degree (students) will continue to bear the costs of their education while having more freedom in repaying their loans.

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