Community College Should Be Freeintroductioncommunity College Should B ✓ Solved

Community College Should Be Free Introduction Community college should be made cheaper in order to provide equal opportunities for every American to access higher learning opportunities. Thesis : free community college will improve the labor force of the country thus improve the level of the economy. Body 1. Free community college will enhance the bridging the gap in the social classes. The gap between the different social classes in the united states is as a result of the disparity in the level of incomes between few individuals forming the highest social class and the majority forming the low social class. · Every individual will be able to access college degree or higher diploma increasing their chances of securing a good job. · Most people in the lower social class are in most cases with a low level of education making them unable to secure good jobs · When all individuals get college degrees the number of workers will increase in the labor market and they will be able to get higher incomes increasing the level of disposable income.

2. Children from unprivileged families will be able to access education. Families with low levels of income in most cases cannot afford to pay tuition fees for their students in the different colleges due to the high level of tuition fee required for one to undertake a college degree making children from such families become less privileged in terms of chances to access the college education. · Low-income families are not able to pay for their tuition fee in colleges. · This makes students start working at a low age and as low wage casual workers. · Free community college will give opportunities to low privileged families to make a brighter future through education. 3. Free community college will make students concentrate on their studies by making them able to perform well.

Most of the students in colleges from families with low incomes tend to undertake their studies and work at the same time. This makes to organize their time in the sense that they balance both aspects where they have less time for academics. · Free college will ease the students who work and learn at the same time the burden of working hard to pay for their school fees. · When student’s concentrate on learning they will be able to understand effectively without straining and attain great grades in school · High performance will translate to well-paying jobs which will increase the purchasing power of the workers thus improved level of the economy. 4. Free college might increase a financial burden to the federal government (counter-argument).

For the government to facilitate this program it will have to commit more funds to cater for the different resources required and to pay for the tuition fee for the students undertaking the program which means that it will have to increase the funds channeled to the education sector. · This means that the fed government will have to spend more income to fund the program at the expense of other development programs. · It does not create an assurance that most of the people will enroll in the colleges and this may lead to a waste of resources. Conclusion Free community college should be implemented in order to increase the level of skilled workforce in the country. The program will also reduce the level of poverty in the country despite the anticipated disadvantages associated with it.

Annotated Bibliography Adams, Caralee J. " Skepticism, Hope Greet President's Community College Plan ." Education Week, 21 Jan. 2015, p. 17. Opposing Viewpoints In Context, Accessed 17 July 2018.

This article reviews President Barack Obama’s suggestion to introduce a 2-year free tuition policy in community colleges that would benefit students from all parts of the country. This proposal is expected to cost almost sixty billion dollars in a ten-year duration. The tuition fee is proposed to be covered by a collaboration of the federal and state administrations for scholars who steadily advance towards completion and have a mean score of 2.5 points. According to Ben Miller, this proposal could succeed either if the bill passes or the proposal increases the status of similar ideas leading to more states implementing it. However, it faces high skepticism from different Politicians and other shareholders.

This article is very useful in addressing the cost and scope of a free community college system. It details the budget that would be required to realize this system and the impact it will have on the tax payer. This article has made me realize that the implementation of such a system is much more complex than I had initially perceived. It raises a very crucial question concerning this debate, which concerns whether it would be really fair to offer the same tuition amount to both the low-income scholars and the rich scholars who don’t need it, or whether more money should be allocated to the low-income scholars to meet all their necessary needs. Cubberley, Fran.

" The Reality of Free Community College Tuition ." Journal of College Admission, no. 227, Spring2015, pp. 21-23. EBSCOhost, eznvcc.vccs.edu:2048/login? url= According to the article, eradicating the barriers to tuition would enable the availability of more opportunities which the scholars would be able to access and take advantage of. The challenges that would involve the implementation of this program have been highlighted, though the writer concludes that the benefits out way them.

This article would enable me to research both the pros and cons of the free education bill and come up with a valid conclusion in my research project. It however contains a lot of similar information to the content in the other articles though it is still informative. Goldrick-Rab, Sara, and Andrew P. Kelly. " Should community college be free?

Education next talks with Sara Goldrick-Rab and Andrew P. Kelly." Education Next, vol. 16, no. 1, 2016, p. 54+.

Opposing Viewpoints In Context, Accessed 17 July 2018. According to the article, the America’s College Promise would eradicate tuition fee at the public colleges for qualified scholars, dropping the mean yearly cost by almost 3,800 dollars, if President Obama’s suggestion would have passed in congress. Following the findings from a study done by the National Center for Education Statistics, the article establishes that when all endowments and bursaries are taken into consideration, a whole year attendance at a public college depletes scholars from low income homesteads about 8000 dollars in fees and living expenses. Therefore, the Pell grant is becoming more expensive. It is therefore due to this that more Americans are advocating for a cheaper education system.

The article highlights that due to the current economic changes, high school education is not enough, and more citizens should opt to do an associate degree or higher in order to remain competitive in the job market. This article is very informative and about the importance and state of a college degree education. It highlights the importance of such a bill to the American people and offers suggestions of how the president’s proposal should be implemented realistically by reducing wastage of tax payers’ money and employing profiteering strategies. The article has innovative suggestions that I could incorporate in my research project such as the crucial points the president’s proposal left out like ensuring that the students don’t just commence their degree courses but also complete them without dropping out.

This article would therefore help me highlight other obstacles that affect the college education rather than just the tuition fees. Gewertz, Catherine. " N.Y. Becomes First State to Offer Free Tuition to Four-Year Colleges ." Education Week, 19 Apr. 2017, p.

4. Opposing Viewpoints In Context, Accessed 17 July 2018. The article states New York to be the pioneer State at implementing the Obama proposal of making community colleges and Universities free. It suggests that other States are in the process or have already implemented this proposal. The scholarship will be offered to scholars whose families are low and medium income earners with an annual income of below dollars.

The scholars are required to be full time learners at the city and state universities of New York, and they should also perform well in their courses. One criticism towards this implementation is that confines the scholars to reside and work within the city for a period equal to the duration they received the free education, failure to which they will be required to pay their full scholarship expense. This brief article will enable me to evaluate the implementation of the free education proposal in terms of the number of states that have actually implemented it and the regulations that govern and sustain it. Morris, Catherine. "White House Adding 0 Million Program to Tuition-Free Community College Push." Diverse Issues in Higher Education 33.): 6.

ProQuest. Web. 17 July 2018. The article states that the White House will offer 100 million dollars in support of the free public college program, which will be directed via the Department of Labor and the funding will be done by the H1-B visa application fees. This bill is being supported by the Democrats.

It is however still waiting on the Congress actions. This article shows the positive steps being made to the realization of free college education. It has informed me of more states that have embraced this program and which I am going to include in my research project. I am also going to research about how the 100 million dollars is going to fund the program. Patton, Carol.

" Is Free Tuition Working ?" Journal of College Admission, vol. 232, Summer2016, pp. 30-33. EBSCOhost, eznvcc.vccs.edu:2048/login? url= According to the article, eradicating the barriers to tuition would enable the availability of more opportunities which the scholars would be able to access and take advantage of. The challenges that would involve the implementation of this program have been highlighted, though the writer concludes that the benefits out way them.This article would enable me to research both the pros and cons of the free education bill and come up with a valid conclusion in my research project.

It however contains a lot of similar information to the content in the other articles though it is still informative. Works Cited Adams, Caralee J. "Skepticism, Hope Greet President's Community College Plan." Education Week, 21 Jan. 2015, p. 17.

Opposing Viewpoints In Context, Accessed 17 July 2018. Cubberley, Fran. "The Reality of Free Community College Tuition." Journal of College Admission, no. 227, Spring2015, pp. 21-23.

EBSCOhost, eznvcc.vccs.edu:2048/login? url= Goldrick-Rab, Sara, and Andrew P. Kelly. " Should community college be free? Education next talks with Sara Goldrick-Rab and Andrew P. Kelly ." Education Next, vol.

16, no. 1, 2016, p. 54+. Opposing Viewpoints In Context, Accessed 17 July 2018. Gewertz, Catherine.

" N.Y. Becomes First State to Offer Free Tuition to Four-Year Colleges ." Education Week, 19 Apr. 2017, p. 4. Opposing Viewpoints In Context, Accessed 17 July 2018.

Morris, Catherine. "White House Adding 0 Million Program to Tuition-Free Community College Push." Diverse Issues in Higher Education 33.): 6. ProQuest. Web. 17 July 2018.

Patton, Carol. " Is Free Tuition Working ?" Journal of College Admission, vol. 232, Summer2016, pp. 30-33. EBSCOhost, eznvcc.vccs.edu:2048/login? url=

Paper for above instructions

Introduction

The growing disparity in educational access presents a significant challenge to achieving equitable opportunities for all Americans. Community colleges, often viewed as a stepping stone to higher education, have the potential to unlock various economic prospects for individuals from diverse backgrounds. By making community college tuition-free, we can level the playing field and ensure that all individuals, regardless of their socioeconomic status, have access to education and training that can lead to better employment opportunities. Thesis: Offering free community college will enhance the quality of the American workforce and subsequently bolster the economy by providing affordable access to higher education.

Bridging the Social Class Divide

One of the most significant societal issues is the growing divide between social classes in the United States, primarily rooted in income inequality. As Richard Rothstein (2013) highlights in The Color of Law, lower social classes often face substantial barriers to accessing quality education, maintaining a cycle of poverty and limited opportunities (Rothstein, 2013). Free community college would allow individuals from all social classes to pursue higher education, diminishing educational disparities that contribute to this divide.
Every individual with access to community college can work toward obtaining a degree or vocational certificate, subsequently improving their chances of securing well-paying employment. Studies from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce show that workers with a postsecondary education earn significantly more than those without, thus helping to narrow the income gap over time (Carnevale, Rose, & Cheah, 2011). Additionally, a more educated workforce can contribute to increased disposable income, ultimately benefiting the national economy by fostering consumer spending.

Access for Underprivileged Families

The financial burden of college tuition can serve as a substantial barrier for low-income families. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2022), rising college costs have limited access to education for many eager students who cannot afford the tuition fees (NCES, 2022). When families are unable to bear these costs, children from disadvantaged backgrounds are often forced to enter low-wage jobs at an early age, reducing their chances of attaining a college degree and breaking the cycle of poverty (Goldrick-Rab, 2016).
By providing free community college, we would create a pathway for underprivileged children to access education that was once out of reach. As highlighted by the Education Trust, an organization dedicated to educational equity, free college would empower these students to dream beyond immediate low-income job opportunities and invest in their future through education (The Education Trust, 2016).

Empowering Student Focus on Academics

Students from low-income families often juggle part-time jobs while pursuing their studies, which can lead to challenges in managing their time effectively and focusing on academics. A study by the Lumina Foundation highlights that the overwhelming need to work while studying detracts from students' commitment to academic success, lowering graduation rates (Lumina Foundation, 2018). When financial pressure is alleviated through free community college, students can dedicate more time and energy toward their education.
Easing the burden of student debt allows for enhanced academic performance, increased graduation rates, and the likelihood of obtaining well-paying jobs afterward (Patton, 2016). High-performing students contribute significantly to the economy through increased earnings and tax contributions, further reinforcing the necessity of making community college free.

Counter Arguments: Financial Burdens on Government

Despite the numerous benefits of free community college, critics often argue that the implementation of such a program could place a considerable strain on government budgets. The estimated costs for providing free tuition could reach billions, which may compromise funding for other essential services and programs, as highlighted by Congress appropriating federal budget allocations (Adams, 2015). Critics also argue that there is no guaranteed enrollment increase or completion rates among students under a free tuition program, leading to potential waste of taxpayer money.
While these concerns are valid, it is crucial to consider that the long-term benefits of investing in education can outweigh initial financial burdens. By increasing the number of individuals attaining higher degrees, the economy can experience a significant return on investment through higher tax revenues and reduced reliance on social welfare programs (Morris, 2016). Moreover, successful examples from states like New York, which implemented the Excelsior Scholarship, demonstrate that supporting access to education leads to a more equitable society and a more robust economy (Gewertz, 2017).

Conclusion

Making community college tuition-free is an essential step toward building an equitable education system that ensures equal opportunities for all Americans. By bridging social class divides, enabling access for underprivileged families, and empowering students to focus on their studies, free community college can contribute to a stronger workforce and a healthier economy. While concerns over funding and potential challenges are valid, the long-term benefits of such a program are undeniable. As a society, we must invest in education to assure a prosperous future for all.

References

- Adams, Caralee J. "Skepticism, Hope Greet President's Community College Plan." Education Week, 21 Jan. 2015.
- Carnevale, Anthony P., Nicole Smith, and Jeff Strohl. "Recovery: Job Growth and Education Requirements through 2020." Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2013.
- Goldrick-Rab, Sara. "Should Community College Be Free?" Education Next, vol. 16, no. 1, 2016.
- Gewertz, Catherine. "N.Y. Becomes First State to Offer Free Tuition to Four-Year Colleges." Education Week, 19 Apr. 2017.
- Lumina Foundation. "A Stronger Nation: Learning Beyond High School Builds American Talent." Lumina Foundation, 2018.
- Morris, Catherine. "White House Adding 0 Million Program to Tuition-Free Community College Push." Diverse Issues in Higher Education 33, no. 6 (2016).
- National Center for Education Statistics. "Digest of Education Statistics: 2022." U.S. Department of Education, 2022.
- Patton, Carol. "Is Free Tuition Working?" Journal of College Admission, vol. 232, Summer 2016.
- Rothstein, Richard. The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America. Liveright Publishing Corporation, 2013.
- The Education Trust. "Advocating for a Stronger Future: How Free College Can Boost Equity." The Education Trust, 2016.