Free College

The current President of the United States, Barack Obama, has brought up a new proposition for the people of the United States; he has declared that he would like to make community college free. “As the president’s “America’s College Promise Act” — which would increase federal funding to cover the bulk of the average community college tuition — sits in Congress, many states are already working on their own free college programs”, (Dickler, 1). How would that even be a possibility? Nothing in this world is free. Even if you go shopping and a sign says “free this” or “free that”, there is always some kind of stipulation that entails whether it be getting the free item means that you actually have to buy something or that you have to enter some kind of sweepstakes. Free college actually means free college for you. Someone has to pay for the facilities, professors, and staff. Although free college sounds like the best thing in the world its not as easy of a solution as it sounds. There are many solutions that have to be created and combined in order to give the entire country a chance at a free college education.

            The people who are going to have to pay for the free college are taxpayers. They are going to be the ones who will have to pay because the money has to come from somewhere and that somewhere is the working class. Raising the taxes would mean that where would more income so that the government could afford to pay the community colleges so that they can stay open. Although taxes may rise, many parents would be relieved to know that their child will have an opportunity in higher education. As I wrote in my previous blog post, a college education is an invaluable gift to give.

            Of course, with free college there also come problems. Many students may take advantage of free college without actually intending to graduate. It’s important that community colleges keep their standards high when it comes to who can receive a free college education. A student should have to keep a specific GPA in order to continue their education at a community college. There are many students here at GCC who attend classes because they don’t have anything else to or they feel like they should be here and they end up not putting in any effort towards their classes. Those students may be here on financial aid, which they are squandering away. Its important that the educational institution makes sure that their students are there for a reason and have goals they would like to achieve regarding their education.

            Another way that we can create a solution for a free college education is that community colleges offer scholarships for students who excel in the classroom. Colleges can offer scholarships to those who don’t qualify for financial aid so that they are still able to afford college. They may be able to require a certain GPA or write an essay as to why they should receive a scholarship. Many schools already offer scholarships but they should definitely make it so that it’s available only to those who don’t qualify for financial aid.

            There won’t always be a simple solution to issues like free college. It takes a lot of brains and willpower to implement something like this. The government can make this possible and if maybe 100% free college isn’t the solution than maybe we can work to lower tuition rates. Making college affordable is the best decision that our country can make. Educated individuals make for outstanding, taxpaying, law-abiding citizens.

Works Cited

Dickler, Jessica. "Free College Programs Could Be around the Corner." USA TODAY College. 2016. Web. 01 Feb. 2016.

Investing in Education

Benjamin Franklin once said, ""investment in knowledge always pays the best dividends." (Schrieber, 1). I have never heard a truer statement.  Investing in the education of an individual reaps a great deal of success. As a student at Glendale Community College, it’s important for everyone to see how my education can improve my quality of life. Earning a college degree opens doors for me that may have never been there in the first place. A college degree in almost any field of study can place me in jobs that will reward me for my knowledge. For example, as a nursing student I can work at a hospital and eventually work my way up to becoming a charge nurse or even go back to school in order to become a nurse practitioner. A nurse heals sick people and is a great asset to the world. Anyone can see that by paying for my nursing school, it will help me become more successful by landing a nursing job. A nursing job will give me the income to support my future family and myself. It will be very useful to be a nurse just in case a zombie apocalypse ever happens. Imagine a world where hospitals are closed and phone lines are dead; I can be the one to save my family. It’s a far-fetched idea but its fun to think about sometimes. If I do graduate from nursing school and become a nurse there will definitely be job stability. Hospitals are open 24 hours a day for seven days a week. Someone has to work all of those hours, especially the graveyard shifts. There were never be enough nurses in the world to fulfill those positions which is why once I land a job as a nurse I will have a very hard time losing it. In a world where the economy is constantly changing one thing is for sure: there will always be sick people and sick people will always need nurses.

 Throughout the entire history of the United States, there has always been a debate about where we should invest our money. Politicians ultimately decide where the money gets invested. Most politicians focus on one common initiative in order to receive votes. Some of those politicians vote to spend money on education, the military, or other causes. I believe that spending money on education whether it is a college or an elementary school should be at the top of the spending list. Educating people gives them a better perspective on life. They know how to make the right decisions, how to do better in work, or what path in life they should take.

School creates well-rounded people. For example, imagine a high school graduate who immediately after graduation joins the work force. He works at this big office where he is underpaid and cannot move up in his company all because he doesn’t have a college degree. Most workplaces in this day and age require that an employee have some type of college degree because it shows the employer that he or she is an educated individual. Imagine 15 years from now the economy goes under and that same high-school graduate gets laid off. He now has nothing going for himself. He can’t get a job because he never went to college. Maybe that student never went to college because he couldn’t afford it and there wasn’t any financial aid available to him. If that individual had a college degree he or she wouldn’t have to worry about finding another job because they would have had a degree that shows they are qualified for a specific job. If that individual had the financial aid and opportunity to go to college than he wouldn't be in the position he is in now. This is why continuing school is very important; It gives you many options with what to do in your life.

Education is the only way that a person can get out of their class standing and make a better life for him or herself. Its proven that people who have at least a Bachelors degree opposed to someone who only has a high school diploma make about 17% more than those without a degree (Kurtzleben, 1). A degree not only entails a higher salary but it also entails job security and diversity. Many degrees can be used towards different kinds of jobs, so there should always be some kind of job available. I believe wholeheartedly that someone who obtains a college degree can have a better chance of being financially stable than someone who doesn’t have a degree, and they will also have a better quality of life.