College: An institution where many young people aspire to receive a higher level of education preparatory to starting a career. Some may even view attending college as part of the typical American dream. However, this dream is difficult or even unattainable for some students due to the costs of higher education. The cost of college varies depending on the type of school; however, the average tuition ranges from ten thousand to thirty-five thousand dollars, and many universities are even more expensive. The rising price of college over the years has led many to ask: Should college tuition be free? This hotly debated topic is important to most people living in the United States. This decision will define the future of many high school students. College students, who, if a decision were made while they are still in college, would be directly affected. Furthermore, families of college students along with the general public would be impacted by this issue – whether or not change occurs – because they are – or could become – the ones paying for college. While many believe the idea of ​​free college seems ideal, if college tuition were free, an influx of students would cause higher education degrees to lose value, future generations would lack financial responsibility, both vocational and private schools would suffer financial burdens and negative impacts on the public, the company would become less motivated and debt would continue to be a problem; at both the state and national levels. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay. Having free tuition for students would allow more students to attend and graduate; however, this would have major repercussions. More students go to college means more students graduate. Without tuition being a limiting factor, many more students could receive higher degrees such as master's degrees. This has the potential to devalue these higher degrees, making master's degrees as common as bachelor's degrees are today. Procon.org notes Rita McGrath, associate professor at Columbia Business School, saying, “Having a college degree used to be a rarer thing, and candidates with a college degree could therefore be more demanding and were more expensive to hire. Today this is no longer the case." Professor McGrath essentially means that graduates with a bachelor's degree used to be seen as more desirable in the workplace, but as more and more students continue their education to earn this degree, it has become more common. Many careers today require at least a bachelor's degree, even at entry-level levels. If college were free, this trend would only get worse. Supporters of free education argue that if more students earn more degrees, society will become more educated and innovative. In the article “Pros and Cons of Free College Tuition,” the author notes how “This then creates a more educated workforce and a population that has better critical thinking skills. This could lead to greater innovation in all sectors of society." He explains that if more people received higher education, society would become more productive and progressive. It could be argued that as competition for jobs increases, job seekers will have to become more creative and innovative to stand out. However, jobs could become scarce as competition increases,creating the opposite effect. On the other hand, because there would be so much competition for existing positions, there will also be more graduates unemployed or forced to take lesser jobs, for example, an engineer working in a retail store. Furthermore, with a lack of obligation to pay tuition would result in a lack of financial burden. Since there would be no financial repercussions to push students to work hard, students may not be as motivated and “without that financial boost, we may see more laziness and apathetic behavior from our students.” Students may even drop out of school, causing laziness – and not innovation – to emerge in society. It's a lesson often seen in younger children: Those who are given everything without having to earn it somehow develop a sense of entitlement. This attitude of “deserving” a free college education could very well lead to adults having no motivation to succeed, either in school or in the workplace. Today, many students receive merit scholarships based on their grades and are required to maintain a certain GPA to continue the scholarship. Free tuition would eliminate the need to work hard to maintain merit scholarships, resulting in unmotivated students having average grades, far below the quality of students most institutions offer today. This laziness would likely follow students throughout college and their careers, leading to an overall less productive society. Supporters of free college tuition say college tuition has the greatest financial impact on the nation and on families with students in college. However, the greatest impact comes from students dropping out of school. Bob Luebke of the Civitas Institute writes how “A free tuition proposal would make more sense if there was a large demand for certain fields and college access was a significant issue. But it isn't. If you look at the data, the biggest problem is that many students don't finish college. Only about 55 percent of students graduate six years after starting.” Dropping out students have a greater financial impact on the nation than college tuition. Procon.org delves into this topic by writing how "Students who began graduation in fall 2002 but did not graduate within six years accounted for $3.8 billion in lost income, $566 million in federal income taxes lost and $164 million in state losses." income taxes in a year". Some might argue that having free college tuition would prevent more students from dropping out due to financial hardship. In reality, free tuition would have minimal impact on dropout rates. This is because students are more likely to drop out due to other factors. Luebke goes on to note how “The problem is not access but completion… In most cases, the problem is not money. Usually they are factors such as family problems or transportation.” Since many dropouts are not caused by financial stress, free tuition would not make a significant difference in the dropout rate, and therefore would not have as positive an impact on national finances as many initially believe. Not only would the workforce see an increase in laziness, but vocational schools would also suffer if college tuition were free. A trade profession is one that requires twelve to twenty-four months of focused education, combined with or followed by on-the-job training, but notdegree. Professions such as plumbers, electricians and mechanics are all necessary in society and are in high demand. While free tuition would bring more students to college, it would also draw more students away from vocational schools, increasing demand for these important jobs. Procon.org acknowledges a study completed on trade occupations, or 'middle-skill jobs,' writing: "According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 'middle-skill' jobs will make up 45 percent of projected job openings through 2014, but As of 2012, only 25% of the workforce had the skills needed to fill those jobs.” Declining student interest in commercial professions is creating a skills gap in the workforce between medium- and high-skilled jobs. Free college tuition would only widen this gap and cause an even sharper decline in middle-skilled workers – workers that society needs to function. As the need for these professions increases, so will the prices for these services will increase over time due to low supply but high demand for these necessary services. In essence, free college tuition would do more harm than good to the general public because it would attract students from necessary jobs and cause an increase in other prices. . Furthermore, if students who might otherwise have attended a trade school instead went to college, they would likely be overqualified for their future jobs. In addition to vocational schools suffering from free tuition, private schools would also be negatively affected. Currently, public and private schools can compete for the same student because students typically select the school they want to study at and then consider tuition financing. Private schools are often smaller in numbers, which allows for a more personal learning environment. This is great for students who want to avoid large classes and crowds. However, if public universities offered free tuition, students otherwise attracted to private institutions might be pressured to attend public school to save money. Vince Norton writes about the likely impact of this, writing how “freshman enrollments will decline by 10%… the impact of a 10% decline in student enrollments at an average private university that would normally enroll 500 new revenue freshmen of 50,000 dollars would have a financial impact of 2.5 million dollars And without counting the discounts that will have to be made to remain attractive for the 450 freshmen who enter. This means that after four years there would be ten million dollars in less than revenues.Not only would free tuition at public universities hurt private schools financially, but it would also limit and harm students.As previously considered, private colleges are often a good option for those who wish to learn in an environment smaller and more personalized. If these schools began to be cut off as options for students, those who might otherwise have attended one would be forced to attend a public school where they would feel less comfortable and be less successful. For most students, going to college means student loans. However, there are positive aspects to student loans that, if taken away, would have negative effects on society. Student loans are often relatively large sums of money. Having to manage such large amounts of money teaches students how to budget andbe financially responsible. In the article “Pros and Cons of Free College Tuition,” the author points out that “college loans are often the first major financial deal people work with. Paying them in a timely manner shows that you know how to budget your money, skills that people use again and again.” In other words, managing student loans financially prepares students to budget for other large, important items in the future, such as homes and cars. Some may argue that without having to pay college tuition, you may be able to purchase a home or car sooner and/or more frequently due to a lack of prior debt. An article from ProCon.org supports this idea by writing how “20% of millennials are homeowners, and the majority of millennials say their student debt has delayed homeownership by an average of seven years… Less than 50% of women and 30% of men have passed the milestones of the “transition to adulthood” by age 30 (finishing school, leaving the parental home, becoming financially independent, getting married and having children); in 1960, 77% of women and 65% of men had completed these milestones by age 30.” Essentially, before tuition was as high as it currently is, young adults were able to purchase important items and complete traditional adult milestones. But due to the financial burden of tuition, few adults are capable of performing these tasks. However, not having learned financial responsibility from student loans, it is likely that debt would still result. Eliminating college tuition may seem like students and their families would save a lot of money. However, college still has to be paid for in some way. Many propose that the main source of funding for colleges comes from tuition, which would increase significantly. This is unfair to the general public. Not everyone chooses to go to college; and yet, I would all pay for college regardless. Additionally, “the public will pay free tuition while future college dropouts will use student loans. Then, when students who attend “free” college fail to pay their student loans, the taxpayer will once again shoulder the burden.” Essentially, instead of an individual paying for the financial repercussions he created, it would be American taxpayers. Individuals would have no financial burden to bear, which would only encourage laziness and dropping out of school. Other proposed options for paying for college include cutting military funding and creating longer waiting lists to get into schools. Some may believe that cutting college tuition is necessary because it would allow more low-income students to attend and graduate. An article from CollegeRaptor supports this position by addressing how “Some students drop out because they lack the ability to pay tuition for all four years. Making university tuition free would eliminate this reason for not graduating." Andersen notes that poorer students who would otherwise drop out may graduate, which in turn increases graduation rates. However, with the likely effect of skyrocketing fees, more students could be pushed into poverty rather than university. The financial aspect of free college tuition would become further complicated once the state budget is taken into account. Every state.