Should Community College Be Free? Pro

With all the talk about freeloading millennials who are killing numerous industries, it seems like many more might be getting a free college education.

In the past months, Rhode Island and New York City have made community college free, providing more opportunities to people trying to further their education and careers.

While many people do want to get in and get out of college, others enjoy being in the academic setting, and both types of people benefit from the skills and education they can receive. They can get a job they enjoy and make a good living, or follow more creative and intellectual pursuits that will be a positive force in the world.

Educational opportunities need to be more accessible to all members of the community,  no matter what their income is. A person on the lower end of the economic scale should have the same chance at educating themselves as a person on higher end of the scale.

Community college can help many people who are unsure of what to study find a calling or a passion, and be the first stepping stone to greater career and educational paths.

The cost of attending a University of California for a year and living off campus racks up to almost $32,000, and without scholarships, financial aid, or high-interest rate loans, it is virtually impossible for many lower and middle class students to pay that kind of money.

Since public elementary and high schools funding depends on property taxes, kids who live in more affluent neighborhoods go to better schools, and ultimately, have better chances of going to University.  

University shouldn’t be seen as a privilege that should only be easily accessible to more wealthy families and individuals.

Opponents of free community college might argue that they don’t want their taxes, which they might feel are high enough, to go towards college kids that might not even graduate.

Investing in college could be expensive for an individual, and for a state, investing more into education could seem like a colossal process. But it is a venture that is worth investing in.

A society will function better for all people if the public is educated, working for themselves and their communities, and is better able to analyze and make decisions that will affect their lives and others.

Free-tuition colleges will also save more people from taking on expensive student loans that will loom over them, long after they have graduated. By releasing students from the clutches of student debt, they’ll be able to invest in their own futures, and stimulate the economy.

While free community college might cost us right now, it will pay off for future generations, and the world we all have to share.