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[4] Instead, American universities should provide free education because a more educated public will improve the country overall. The most obvious improvement will be in salaries because more people will get higher-education degrees and, therefore, get higher-paying careers. Anyone would be able to become a doctor or engineer and earn a large salary without having to pay off debt for twenty years. In addition, free college education for everyone would raise the intelligence of the society as a whole. It's a logical conclusion that more educated citizens would make wiser decisions for their families and their well-being. For example, some studies have shown that college graduates are more politically and civically active and may be less inclined to smoke or drink alcohol (Nie). If a large part of the population shared these positive habits, society would benefit. Finally, crime will be reduced if more of the population pursues higher education. David J. Deming (2016) studied the effects of education on middle and high school students. Deming found that "teaching skills that increase students ability to find employment"allows them to stay in school longer, delaying the onset of criminality through the peak period of offending behaviors." The same result is true for college students. If they have a chance to continue gaining skills that will make them more employable, they will choose work instead of crime. Proof of this can be seen in some European countries that offer free education to all citizens.
[5] Opponents will say that free college education is too expensive and that tax payers will be hurt when taxes go up to pay for this free benefit. However, the numbers tell a different story.
Right now the U.S. government spends $69 billion dollars on student aid, but the cost of tuition-free college could cost less than $63 billion dollars (Eskow). There would probably be some
other expenses involved with implementing free college, but the argument that it would be too expensive cannot be supported. Any additional expense would also be for a worthy cause of
helping lower-income people to move up socially.
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[6] While the U.S.'s cost of college education has been going up for decades, many European countries have been offering free college for all of their citizens. Danish students don't pay any tuition and live in one of the safest countries in the world. In Denmark, there is little crime, and violent crimes occur less frequently than in the U.S" (Melnick). Sweden also has free college for its citizens. Sweden is a safe country that offers lots of support for families, and even though its college students have debt when they graduate from college, it does not compare to that of American students. Matt Phillips explains that because college graduates in Sweden only spend about 3.8% of their average monthly income paying back their debt, the system is "financially manageable" and helps students become "viable adults separate from their parents." In addition, Germany has free education for its college students as well as for international students. However, Germany's system is a little different; it is paid for by private companies, who hire students to work, and then pay for their classes (Strasser). This allows students to form relations with a company and start learning useful job-related skills while still in college. The U.S. should follow the example of these countries and adopt free education for everyone.
[7] Finally, education in the U.S. should be free for everyone because it should be a right for all people regardless of income level. Citizens of all countries have been fighting for equal rights since the beginning of humanity. There was a time when women could not attend college, and college only became a realistic opportunity for middle and low income Americans after WW II.Also, the U.S. has been revolutionary before and needs to be so again. Getting healthcare for all of its citizens was a difficult battle, but that became a reality a few years ago. Just as everyone has the right to affordable healthcare, every citizen has the right to be educated. Furthermore, this right should not belong only to the rich. Dividing knowledge among social classes just makes the classes further apart and prevents upward mobility for improving one's life. Richard Eskow explains that free college education "is essential to realizing the American dream of participating "fully in all aspects of democratic life." It is time for the American govemment to be revolutionary again and bring this right to all citizens.
[8] To conclude, there has been inequality in education between social classes because the cost of college is too expensive. The government is part of the reason it has become expensive and should, therefore, correct the problem by creating free education for anyone who wants to go to college in the U.S. This is the right thing to do.
