Fleener 1

Elizabeth Fleener
Professor Cynthia Hamlett
English 1B
10 October 2015
Students being grabbed by their family jewels: Free college education in America
Throughout the world, countries are making the transition to free and/or subsidized higher
education; thanks in part to a minimal tax increase, since theyve begun investing in their
scholars the results could not have been better. Countries where the majority have garnered a
degree in higher education on average have doubled the gross domestic product than those who
do not offer such opportunities. On a more personal level, scholars with a degree in higher
education enjoy more benefits such as employer provided health care, pension benefits, and a
401k. With such great results on every level of society, every developed country is making the
leap towards free higher education; everyone with the exception of the United States of America.
It is here in America, where students, along with their families continue to face crippling student
loans putting them into extreme debt, multiplied by millions more, the accumulated debt has
become a national issue. With a transition into more accessible college education, the U.S. can
start its path towards repairing its expanding debt ceiling and open up the door for the positive
social and economic growth.
Over the past decade college tuitions fees have risen more than double that of the
previous generation. As estimated by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau,that
outstanding debt is approaching $1.2 trillion. As such most are either unable to graduate which
leaves them in debt with student loans they cannot default on, or those who do find that their

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debt follows them however long it takes for them to repay; diverting money that wouldve gone
back into the economy into paying off enormous loans. According to The Institute for College
Access and Success, An independent, nonprofit organization, Seven in 10 seniors (69%) who
graduated from public and nonprofit colleges in 2013 had student loan debt, with an average of
$28,400 per borrower (1). There is a direct correlation between college tuition and how it
affects the economy. It has the potential to create another financial crisis like the recession of
2008, and already there is a similar atmosphere to what took place in 2012. In order to afford
college, families save as much as possible over time just to be able to begin covering the cost of
attending college; and as a result they turn towards cutbacks generally in spending, thus
negatively affecting the economy. Research done by Sallie Mae on their annual report, How
America Pays for College shows just how much parents are saving. The highest average total
college savings $11,590 are reported by families using 529 college savings plans...Single-parent
families report saving more for their childrens college education ($11,868) than multi parent
families. Parents who live together have saved, on average, $10,341; families with children
spending half their time with each parent have average savings of $8,464, and families in which
children live primarily with their parent/stepparent have saved an average of $4,092 this year
(12-13). Money that wouldve gone back into the economy goes into saving accounts not to be
touched for more than a decade. With more accessible college education, families need not worry
about making outrageous cutbacks in spending, in fact, by spending more and paying their taxes
they will be paying into those savings accounts, not just for theirs, but all students, now and then.
Between 2007 and 2013, College Board, a nonprofit group devoted to the goal of
connecting scholars with more attainable college access, performed a study based on the benefits

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of higher education for students as well as their families and came up with shocking results; with
the presence of more college graduates in a community, the amount of income brought in was
raised by more than those with just a high school diploma. Additionally, more and more jobs
require applicants with a degree above high school diploma. Those who do not have a college
education have increased odds of unemployment, placing more financial burdens on taxpayers as
a result of welfare and other government assistance programs. The 2012 unemployment rates for
25- to 34-year-olds were 9.6% for those with some college but no degree and 7.2% for those with
associate degrees(Education Pays 20). On the opposing end those with as much as a Bachelor's
or Masters degree have increased odds in employment options and longevity. With the average
debt per college student being over $25,000, accessible education removes that enormous burden
from the individual and instead allows for the whole of the taxpayer to collectively share a
miniscule fee further rather than facing the stress of a possible recession which isnt just bad for
your wallet but also your health.
A degree in higher education not only raises your status in society but it also improves your
health. A comprehensive study on the health of college students based on smoking and exercise
showed a positive correlation with the level of education in comparison to those with little to no
experience with college. In 2012, only 8% of individuals with at least a bachelors degree
smoked, compared to 20% of those with some college or an associate degree and 25% of high
school graduates and of those without a high school diploma (Education Pays 27). In addition
to less smokers there were more college graduates exercising, Among 55- to 64-year-olds, 52%
of high school graduates reported some exercise and 25% reported exercising vigorously; 80% of
four-year college graduates reported some exercise and 53% reported vigorous exercise (28).

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Further demonstrating that the investment in scholars benefits the health of the economy and
citizens alike.
With the upcoming presidential elections coming up in the US, candidates from both
main political parties are discussing the topic of building a better America. The competitors
continue to skirt around the need for free education through the use of silencing and double
speak. Doublespeak is language disguises or reverses the meanings of words. As said best by
William Lutz,Doublespeak continues to spread as the official language of public discourse"
(249). However, the main proponent behind the possibility of obtaining accessible higher
education in America is the Democratic nominee Bernard Bernie Sanders. His platform is
based around plans to implement a model similar to those in mainland Europe of public
universities. The transition process that, if implemented, will do so step by step over time. The
blueprint for public universities is made possible by imposing a minuscule "robin hood" tax on
wall street; a speculation fee on investment houses, hedge funds, and other stock trades, along
with a fee on bonds and a fee charged on derivatives. These taxes over a short period of time
will be more than enough to cover the cost of free higher education to all students willing and
able to attend college and or university. Just to cover the cost of four years free tuition, it is a
fifty-cent tax on every 100 dollars spent on Wall street. That is half of a one percent tax, small
and ignorable; but in a single day it can be huge (Feelthebern.org). However, that is not the only
way that college education can easily become free. According to Atlas, a policy analysis tool
from New America's Education Program, The federal government provided $30.2 billion in
grant aid to help individuals pay for a higher education in the 2014-15 school year...$99.6 billion
in new federal student loans will be made to students. Doing the math, these two forms of

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financial aid provided to students comes out to 129.8 billion dollars. As reported by the
Department of Education, public colleges made about 57 billion in revenue. In summary, this
means that the government is already spending more money than needed to make college
education free. If federal loans and financial aid was dedicated solely to making higher education
free, there would definitely be enough and then some. However, this kind of change wont
happen in a day and there are people whom believe that not everyone needs college.
The common held belief that a college education isnt necessary because those who
attend arent guaranteed to graduate are bunk, although the lack of a degree means your pool is
limited your experience will lead to better opportunities. According to the National Center for
Educational Statistics, The 2013 6-year graduation rate for first-time, full-time undergraduate
students who began their pursuit of a bachelor's degree at a 4-year degree-granting institution in
fall 2007 was 59 percent. That is, 59 percent of first-time, full-time students who began seeking a
bachelor's degree at a 4-year institution in fall 2007 completed the degree at that institution by
2013. Depending on what students go into college to study for, the payout may simply not be
worth it. The yearly wage made by some may be similar to those with an entry level job. With
the average debt being exceedingly high, the possibility that longer a scholar attends college
there will continue a decline in personal finances which innumerably leaves one in the seemingly
endless loop of continually exuberant student loan payments.. Just as well, those who do
graduate from their decided arena of study are as unlikely to obtain their choice of career leading
some to face unemployment, Unemployment was consistently higher than for college graduates
as a whole For the period 1990 through the first quarter of 2013, the unemployment rate
averaged 4.3 percent for recent college graduates compared with 2.9 percent for all college

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graduates. These results suggest that finding a job tends to be more difficult for those just out of
school than for those who have been out of school longer; moreover, this disparity exists at all
points in the business cycle (Abel, Deitz and Su 2). Making the decision to attend college and
having classes at certain times could also cause many to miss out on possible job opportunities,
or makes it to where they cannot work enough hours to support their family.
With every perceived great-ship they have their drawbacks and while there is a good deed
to be done there are still the possibilities of negative repercussions. A system for more accessible
higher education benefits the economy, society, and every individual; but with it must come the
understanding that there are flaws and risks. By obtaining a degree in higher education we are
not necessarily guaranteed a better career or lifestyle than those of our colleagues in a similar
setting but by taking that risk we increase our odds. A good investment is backed up by good
statistics, and by raising yours you increase your chances. Invest in oneself, the future of
themselves and others, and the future of the generation to come.

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Works Cited
Abel, Jaison R., Richard Deitz, and Yaqin Su. "Are Recent College Graduates Finding Good
Jobs?" Current Issues in Economics and Finance 20.1 (2014): 1-8. Federal
Reserve Bank

of New York. Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 2014. Web. 11 Oct.

2015.
Affa, Ipsos Public, and Sallie Mae. How America Pays for College (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 7 Oct.
2015.
Baum, Sandy, Jennifer Ma`, and Kathleen Payea. "Education Pays 2013." Trends in Higher Edu
cation Series (2013): n. pag. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.
Bergeron, David A., and Carmel Martin. "Strengthening Our Economy Through College
for All." Center for American Progress. AmericanProgress.org, 19 Feb. 2015.
Web. 08

Oct. 2015.

Chen, Rong and John, and Edward P. St. "State Financial Policies and College Student
Persistence: A National Study." The Journal of Higher Education 82 (2011): 62960.

JSTOR. Web. 8 Oct. 2015.

Chopra, Rohit. "Student Debt Swells, Federal Loans Now Top a Trillion Newsroom Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau." Consumer Finance. Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau, 17 July 2013. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.
Lutz William. The World Of Doublespeak." Language Awareness: Readings for College
Writers. Ed. Paul A. Eschholz, Alfred F. Rosa, and Virginia P. Clark. 11th ed.
Boston:

Bedford/St. Martin's, 2013. 248-259. Print.

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2014, November. STUDENT DEBT AND THE CLASS OF 2013 (2014): 1-17. TICAS. The
Institute for College Access & Success, Nov. 2014. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.