This can be a debated topic, but I think college should not be free. This is an arguable question and overly complicated to answer. The affordability of college education in addition to the modern-day student debt crisis is always a consideration. With any big decision there comes pros and cons as there are with this topic.  

If college were free there would be lower income students may graduate. If you do research or just know some students drop out because they cannot afford to pay tuition. After doing research I found 50% of students drop out of public colleges because of the cost. Also 79% delay their graduation. Some return later to when they can afford to go. 

Students can have more freedom to choose a major they enjoy. Many students feel pressured to choose a particular major. It may come from society or parents. But cost plays a huge role. Students may be worried about paying student loan debut after graduation. If college was free, Students might feel more relaxed about studying for majors that do not cost a lot.  

  After discussing this topic with a former graduate from Marshall Heather Hayes. She told me college should not be free but should be cheaper. I also think if it cannot be free that the cost should drop a lot. Lowering prices will allow more people to get degrees and allow them to make more money in the future. As Heather said, “college is way too expensive when not every kid’s parents have enough money for it, nor can they always be successful with scholarships.” 

 I discussed it with a friend, Cassie, who is applying for college, and she says college should be free. She says because “many people can’t afford it and when you get a student loan many can’t pay it back.” I agree that a lot of people use a student loan to be able to go and then when it is time to pay it back, they are stuck. It is not fair to people who cannot afford to pay back loan just cannot go to school.  

I think making college free improves society. When more people are educated, they can solve their own problems better. With that society can progress at a faster rate. People with an education can understand things better and our current economic conditions. Then, they may be able to participate in different things and improve their country. Also, when more people have their college education, they can have a high skilled job. That means more people can join the workforce, which helps a lot.  

  Many students graduate with a huge amount of debt. For example, the average student debt per person is $31,172 says an online website I studied. When these students graduate in debt, they will more than likely double their debt in college. It usually takes people many years to get out of that debt. But then it keeps adding on when you get older and buy something like a house or car.  

It is not always fair to everyone who cannot afford to go. It has always been a major issue. A lot of the smartest people in this world come from low-income households. That should not hold anyone back from continuing their education. There should be an equal opportunity to attend college. Then everyone could have the chance to go to college. Affordable education is a major thing towards equality that we really need.  

When students are not worried about the cost of things they can focus better on their studies. Even students with loans and financial aid still worry about how they will pay them back later. This adds a lot of stress and a negative impact on their focus when they are supposed to be learning.