As current college students know, a college diploma is just about mandatory to succeed in the highly competitive job market after graduation. However, obtaining that diploma is an extremely costly task. It costs nearly $25,000 for Wisconsin residents to attend UW-Madison each year, with tuition for out-of-state students soaring to nearly $45,000. Under the current system for higher education, families either have to save for decades or plunge into the black hole of student loans to afford the cost of a college education. However, during this current election cycle, candidates are batting around the idea of a free public college education for students. This would not only alleviate the financial and emotional stress from millions of families across the country, but would also jump-start the American economy.
According to the 2010 Census, the average household income for Wisconsin residents was $66,432. While this number is much higher than the national average of $50,500, it is still not enough if families are expected to pay for higher education. In-state tuition accounts for 37 percent of the state’s average household income, which leaves many families even further strapped for cash than they already were.
Because of this lack of affordability, the thought of attending college is simply an unattainable dream for many students. Aspiring college students from low-income families often don’t go on to college because their families can’t afford it, and they start working straight out of high school. This decision starts a vicious cycle of continuing the downward spiral into poverty; students without a college diploma make $25,000 less per year than their college-educated counterparts. The ticket to social mobility is education but the cost prohibits many people from middle and lower classes from being able to improve their social status.
This inevitable cycle of mediocrity and lack of an education is not one that should be plaguing our youth. Instead, children and teens should be focusing on how they can change their lives, and maybe their communities. If a college education in their state was free, they could do just that. A college diploma would not be a dream, but would instead be a reality. More students would be able to study in fields that the future is driving us toward, such as science, technology and mathematics. With a more educated population, the American economy would have many more qualified people to fuel new and innovative ideas, bringing their communities from a former low-income place that lacked hope to a place that thrived.
President Barack Obama has recently suggested making community colleges tuition-free, allowing students to attain their associate’s degree without the fear of racking up debt. This is a great step in the right direction, and would allow youth everywhere to get the skills they need to get a job that would allow them to move up the social ladder. However, an associate’s degree doesn’t compare with what students can get at a four-year university. According to Capella University, an online college, people with an associate’s degree make $400 less per week than people with a bachelor’s degree and are more likely to be unemployed.
Currently, college education is for the wealthy in this country. The price tag for an education is so daunting that it is often questioned if it’s worth it. However, this only drags people down socially. Making public universities free to students would not only allow them to realize their dreams, but would also help America soar by arming our youth with an education that allows them to compete in the modern job market.
Marisa is a freshman intending to major in communication arts or journalism. What is your opinion on the price of college tuition? Share your view with us at opinion@dailycardinal.com.
