As of recent, I was engulfed in a fiery debate between myself and another gentleman about the idea for “free college for everyone”. This man’s reasoning was as follows; “Free college across America would be nationally beneficial” he said,”everyone would have equal opportunity(
) to higher education and could make something of themselves. You would have that many more people with higher level jobs, which means more societal contribution and less poverty. Do you realize how many people would love higher opportunity but just never get it?“Do you realize how much free college on a national scale would cost?” I asked. After all, ”nothing is truly free.” (I might add that simple statement made him red faced and sputtery. “I realize that,” he insisted,”which is why you make budget cuts.” “Oh? Where?” I inquired. “The police, the military...” (
) “Why not to welfare and other free handout programs,” I asked,”that way, this new ‘free college’ money would guarantee that there handouts were going to a definite progressive future for them.”He avoided this statement and began to rip President Donald Trump on his military spending.
Last I checked our military is what keeps our orders safe. It needs heavy expendenture.
The 16th century and the Cold War may be long past, but human nature hasn’t changed at all. But I digress. He insisted free college would only be beneficial for this country.
I referenced Cuba and their free healthcare programs, at how they are a still a third-world nation even with free this and free that. “Hmm, yes. After all, Cuba’s literary rate miniaturizes ours. And then China, a socialist nation, is far wealthier than we could ever hope to be.” he said.
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)Being able to read complex literature doesn’t amount to much when you can’t feed yourself and live in a tin and thatch shanty now does it? This debate between he and I branched into tangents as you can see, though we always directed right back to the key issue of free college.
I am radically against free college myself. After all consider these points;
•Our nations’ college dropout rate is bad enough when college isn’t “free”. Making it free if anything will just worsten our drop out rates. “It’s all good, it’s free. I can always come back if I want to.” (Never comes back.)
•Let’s consider how many universities, junior colleges, community colleges, and Vo-Techs this nation has in each state alone. Consider the COST of paying for such a mass influx of students in every single institution nationally. From books to dormitories to classes. It would bankrupt this nation.
•It would also lessen the value of a college degree. ”I have a masters degree.” ”Who doesn’t? Next.” It would come to the point where bachelor and master degrees would be minimized, and associates degrees and high school diplomas would be equal to nothing.
•It would even drop our college grade statistics to an even more pathetic state. Students who have this “I don’t care, it’s free” attitude will sluff their way by on C’s and D’s, and let’s refer back to the drop-outs who will blitzkreig universities with D’s and F’s before dropping out.
I could continue but I shan’t. I now ask you, NSG, for your input. What day you?
