Education is the platform on which America was built: an indisputable fraction of individuals have sacrificed everything to come to our country and give their children an education that gives them a chance in this world of chaos. Elementary, middle and high schools are publicly accessible to all citizens and these opportunities have proven to be nothing short of effective. The College is the next step on the path to improving our country as a whole; a public post-secondary education should be available at no cost to all American citizens. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The astronomical cost of college chains students to loan payments for their entire lives; is perhaps the most significant argument in support of free post-secondary education. In our nation's past, “public colleges and universities were considerably more affordable than they are today, with lower tuition and financial aid covering a much larger portion of the costs.” Today, however, the price of education continues to rise, and students find it increasingly difficult to pay off student debt or even attend college. In 2016, Americans totaled $1.3 trillion in student loans alone, “carrying more student debt than credit card debt or auto loan debt.” Contributing to an increasing student debt burden, scholarships and grants are decreasing in value, while at the same time students are becoming progressively insolvent. In 1973, a federal Pell Grant covered “more than 75 percent of the cost” of attending a public college or university; today it covers only a meager 30% of the average cost, providing students with significantly smaller sums of money. According to Keith Ellison, writer for The American Prospect, “the cost of attending a four-year college has increased 1,122 percent since 1978.” In less than 50 years, the price of post-secondary education has skyrocketed to absurd levels, yet the issue of unemployment is still being pondered. Even if someone is given the opportunity for higher education, their career options may be limited due to lack of financial stability; Bigger jobs require higher levels of college, which generally prevents higher costs. These disadvantages ultimately lead people to leave their jobs and/or possibly become unemployed. Our younger generations should not begin their adulthood drowning in student debt more than any other source. On the other hand, however, the question arises: who will pay their tuition if students are no longer forced to do so? The most logical and common answer is people; a tax increase would cover the costs, but last year, 48% of Americans already believed their taxes were too high, according to CNBC. Using statistics from recent federal data, it was concluded that “if you live to age 75 and pay annual taxes starting at age 18,” tuition for free tuition is $77,500 per person. Proponents of this claim support a free college education, but people should not have to bear the burden of the entire cost. Our country spends “hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies to the oil and gas industry and billions more on Wall Street” as well as other ridiculous industries. According to data collected in 2015, the government paid 68% of the price for Super Bowl-related costs.Surely some exceptions can be made, such as sport, to educate our future generation; a college education should be seen as “one of the most important responsibilities of our community, and it is a right that all of us should be able to enjoy.” President Barack Obama once made a statement that our nation should carefully consider when contemplating tuition-free college: “Every single American deserves to be treated equally in the eyes of the law and in the eyes of our society.” All Americans, despite their situation, should be given the opportunity to attend post-secondary education. Supporting this idea, Casey Bayer, a writer for Harvard's Graduate School of Education, suggests that "a college degree is a ticket to the middle class." In most cases, this statement turns out to be true; by earning only a high school diploma, individuals “earn on average nearly $30,000 per year.” On the other hand, “bachelor's degrees earn an average of just over $50,000 per year, and those with a higher-level degree (master's, doctoral, or professional) average nearly $70,000 per year.” A college degree falls just short of guaranteeing a reliable annual salary, but those struggling with financial stability currently lack that opportunity. As Dissent writer Tressie McMillan Cottom says, “college is the domain of the relatively privileged,” and it's time to make it available to all Americans, rich or financially challenged; a degree “is a right for everyone and not simply a privilege for a few. A multitude of other countries have successfully implemented a tuition-free university system; why shouldn't the United States be just as effective? Germany is just one of the countries that enjoys free public higher education. German universities reported a 30% increase in student populations from 2012 to 2016, and the numbers are likely to have increased since then. More student enrollment equates to a larger workforce made up of a variety of skills; many intelligent people never have the opportunity to use their talents because they can't attend college. Creating a free college system in America would allow anyone, despite their circumstances, to get an education and add their intellectual abilities to our ever-growing economy. Finland is another country that offers free education. Despite previous tensions related to the lack of quality education, Finland is recognized worldwide for its academic excellence. The values ​​of American education should be the same as those found in Finland: “education is considered a fundamental right and Finnish education policy emphasizes equal opportunities for all.” Currently, the American system does not have these equal opportunities, and the implementation of free college education is a significant step in the right direction. Other countries considered successful in free post-secondary education include Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Slovenia, France, Greece, the Czech Republic and Brazil. A tuition-free system among the above nations is considered quite effective, but notably has its own shortcomings. An increase in student enrollment is inevitable and is quite the goal of free post-secondary education, but it is believed to have created difficulties on campuses; “there is a danger that university education and research will be affected”, resources and funds are scarce and staff are being laid off”. Currently, in the UK, the argument that university.