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Free Education and Why it Should be Implemented in the United States

By Christian Bivian

Hi, my name is Christian Bivian, and I am a freshman undergraduate student at Â鶹. Benjamin Franklin, a founding father of the United States, stated, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” This quote emphasizes the importance of getting an education, as it is beneficial in the long run. Despite its acknowledged benefits, access to higher education remains a significant barrier for many, especially as tuition costs continue to rise. The debate surrounding free college education has never been more relevant as higher education seems out of reach for many. In the United States, student loan debt exceeds $1.7 trillion. 

Many students graduate with degrees, but they also carry financial burdens that take years, if not decades, to repay. Since elementary school, I have excelled in my academics. I was put into the accelerated track in 7th grade due to my reading and writing ability. Since then, my courses have been geared towards college preparation, whether it was through AP classes or dual credit courses. When it came time for college applications, I was so eager to apply to universities to further my studies and make my family proud as a first-generation college student. It was nice seeing the acceptances flow in, especially from the University of Illinois as the Gies College of Business only has a 23.1% acceptance rate. However, the big sticker price for the universities made my heart skip a beat. According to the Â鶹 Financial Aid Office, the cost of attendance for the 2024-2025 school year is $55,030. How many of you had to take out loans to be able to afford the cost of attending college? I see almost 99% of you have raised your hands. Unfortunately, this is the norm for many college students. 

The government only gives out need based aid through the FAFSA, however, I find the current system to be a joke. Even though I meet the income requirement to receive loans, the government did not provide me the opportunity to take out a loan. I was blessed that Â鶹 provided me with the St. John Baptist De La Salle Full Tuition Scholarship. Still, I must come up with the rest of the funding, whether it be me working two jobs over the summer or working while being a student, which is at times hard to juggle with the workload of classes. Many of my fellow peers from back home weren’t even able to attend college because of how much it costs, and they were just as serious as I was with academics. So how can we change the inaccessibility of higher education? Well, I am here today to talk to you about an idea that I have. I believe that college should be free for everyone. Critics of free college argue about the financial feasibility of a free higher education, while advocates highlight its potential economic and societal benefits. Countries such as Germany and Finland have already embraced tuition-free higher education, proving that free higher education is not only possible but effective. Free college education is a life-changing idea that produces societal and economic benefits, and it is achievable through funding strategies. 

To start off, I will begin talking about the various societal benefits that a free college education produces. David J. Deming is an economist, a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School, and a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Within his research brief that referenced a variety of credible sources, The Economics of Free College, Deming stated that the benefits of education for society include a decrease in crime, an increase in civic participation, higher GDP growth, and how workers can earn more when their city is populated with more college educated workers. When individuals are well educated, they understand their societal impact and act to benefit their communities. For example, someone with an education in political science would understand the reforms politicians are trying to advertise in their campaigns. Therefore, they would be inclined to vote in elections. Jennifer Ma and Matea Pender, senior policy research scientists at the College Board, found that "voting rates are higher among individuals with higher levels of education"—77% of bachelor's degree holders voted in the 2020 election, compared to 46% of high school graduates. It is important to have highly educated citizens because “recent research has shown that unequal educational attainment goes hand and hand with income inequality, as well as with higher rates of crime and lower health standards” (Samuels 121). Think of the lives of your loved ones, would you want crime within your neighborhood? Education would reduce the crime rates in the surrounding neighborhoods. This would reduce the amount of stress that is on your load, and your neighborhood would not need to worry about creating a neighborhood watch program or investing in Ring Security cameras. Moving back to the benefit of higher GDP growth, an increase in GDP means that our economy could experience the potential benefits of increased employment, higher wages, more people spending their money, and an improved standard of living. Who here doesn’t love higher pay? I see no hands up, therefore, we should jump on board with this idea. 

Not only does a free college education have societal benefits, but it also has notable economic benefits that are important to go into detail about. David J. Deming details the benefits of education in his research brief, The Economics of Free College. Economic benefits can be derived from the fact that education teaches us the skill of learning how to learn, earnings are boosted, and it teaches us critical thinking and abstract problem-solving. With the skills and knowledge attained from higher education, members of society can contribute back to the economy. Earnings are boosted from an education as most jobs nowadays require a degree of some sort to make more than a base salary. The money that the workers earn can be used to invest in stocks and real estate for example, which help the economy in return. Consumer spending will be stimulated because of the boost in earnings. This will in turn, boost businesses revenue and lead to overall economic growth. Constantly learning is something that many people wish to do, and if higher education can provide someone with that trait, then they can become knowledgeable in many fields making themselves both richer in knowledge and finances. According to a LinkedIn article written by Amit Nagpal, the seven reasons why it is important to continuously learn are that it ensures that you will remain relevant in your industry, be prepared for the unexpected, it will boost your profile, lead to innovation, and overall make you feel accomplished.

 Some critics worry that if college becomes available to everyone, fewer students might finish their degrees, social inequality could get worse, students might put less effort into their work, and the overall quality of colleges could suffer. In actuality, findings from Douglas N. Harris showed that a program that created open access to free college education “increased graduation from two-year colleges by 3 percentage points,” which might seem small but actually represents a “25% increase in two-year degrees” among low-income students. Personally, I can vouch for low-income students taking advantage of an opportunity like this, as I come from a single-parent household with only one income coming in. With the tuition-free scholarship that Â鶹 provided me with, I am able to advance my studies. I am not taking this opportunity for granted and am committed to completing my degree. The critics’ argument that students might put less effort into their work couldn’t be farther from the truth, as opportunities like this motivate students to work harder to not only obtain their degree, but to better themselves overall as a person. Social inequalities are also a reason why we should be making higher education free, because at the current moment in time, the only way people are able to afford higher education is either through loans or through scholarships. Loans are being compared to “indentured servitude,” which is what we are trying to get away from. “ In 2022, an estimated 79 percent of 18-to-24-year-olds from the highest family income quartile enrolled in postsecondary education, compared with just 44 percent from the lowest income quartile” (Hamm). With free higher education, it gives everyone a chance to become successful. Therefore, the next step for this idea is to come up with ways to achieve this.

 A free college education is achievable through various funding strategies. According to a TEDx Talk by Sergio Acevedo Cortes, by investing endowment interest can be generated and separated into two piles. One of the piles can be used directly to fund scholarships, and the other can be reinvested into the endowment. This allows for the endowment to remain stable, keep up with inflation, and potentially even grow from year to year. This is a strategy that can be used year after year, as students come and go from the universities. However, Sergio Acevedo Cortes isn’t the only one who has come up with a way to fund higher education. Robert Samuels, author of the book Why Public Higher Education Should Be Free: How to Decrease Cost and Increase Quality at American Universities, explains that if universities were more conscientious of their spending, free higher education could be attainable. Within his book, he mentions how universities often spend their money on administrative costs and fancy facilities. In addition, he highlights that with the amount of funding that goes into Student Loans, Pell Grants, etc., we could re-allocate those funds towards making higher education free. Samuels also suggests reducing spending on athletics, housing, dining, amenities, research, and graduate education to redirect funds. These funding strategies demonstrate that free college is not a matter of insufficient resources but rather of smarter financial management. In addition to these proposed strategies, looking at international models can provide further proof that free college education is attainable. Denmark, for example, has a good economy and can provide its residents with free higher education. Lara Takenaga, an editor for the New York Times, notes that Denmark spends 1.6% of its GDP on higher education, compared to the U.S.’s 0.9%. Within her article, she included a personal story from Sofie Geertsen who resides in Denmark, who described the relief of graduating debt-free thanks to government-funded education. With the help from the government, she was able to become a Senior Process Data Consultant. The base salary for that position is $117, 804 per year. The numbers speak for themselves in the sense that the investment in her education paid off.

How many of you here have had jobs lined up after college? Okay, so about 75% of you. For me, I know that Â鶹 has set me up for success to find a job after graduation. Universities have connections that allow for students to network like crazy. Like many say, it is not about what you know, but who you know. Networking opportunities are limited, realistically, and if you do not network, it may be harder to find a job. The resume that you build while at college differentiates you from the competition. For example, an internship that you do over the summer will make you more desirable for companies because you have experience in that field. The resources that universities offer are beneficial to students. I have visited the career services department on multiple occasions, and I have built a strong resume, learned how to write an effective cover letter, and how to present myself professionally. 

Critics argue that the only way to implement a free college education would be through taxpayer dollars. While taxpayer dollars could play a role, these strategies demonstrate that other funding methods can also make free college education a reality. 

The cost of higher education has continuously risen since the 1980s. Nothing has yet been put in place to either slow down the costs rising or help people have a fighting chance of affording higher education. Yes, loans are a possible solution, however, loans are basically signing away your financial freedom for the rest of your life. It is not ideal to have to take out a huge chunk of your paycheck and then figure out ways to survive off of the amount remaining. Many people have a hard time paying off other expenses or even affording food after paying part of a loan with their paycheck. For these reasons, there has never been a better time to address the situation. Higher education should be free because it does provide economic and societal benefits, and it is a practical idea that can be achieved by endowments, and the government spending its GDP on higher education. 

Critics can’t argue that the benefits aren’t there because they are visible to the naked eye. Free higher education increases civic participation, which can be done through voting. Voting allows people to help a certain candidate go into office. By deciding on a certain candidate, their policy and reforms can help generate a better quality of living. This can impact the economy and how the costs impact our society. Our workforce will be able to generate more earnings because of their degree. Not only that, but with skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and continuously learning that are achieved from higher education, we will have a stronger workforce. Poverty amongst our fellow community members will diminish as “only 4% of adults with a bachelor’s degree lived in poverty, compared to 13% of high school graduates” according to Ma and Pender. 

Those that also receive an education become more engaged and active, which would allow us to reduce the spending on support systems such as welfare. It is important to be active, because if you are not, then you are only damaging your body more and more each day. Over 100 million adults in the United States suffer from obesity, and if obesity gets worse, you are at risk of a heart attack or stroke. The CDC states that “obesity costs the US healthcare system almost $173 billion a year.” Being active is a solution to this problem, and education boosts being active. Universities offer students the opportunity to go to the recreational center and play a sport. Some of you may ponder, why in the world is he mentioning fitness? Well, if you feel good physically, then you will feel better mentally. Working out and staying active has to somehow fit into your schedule. 

College is the perfect time for people to become more independent. It requires people to do their own laundry, plan out their day, etc. Realistically, it prepares you for the real world. Some may argue that this is possible without going to college. While that is true, you are surrounded by others going through the same thing while at college. You have people that are there to support you and help guide you to success. To make this a reality, we need to bring this to the attention of policymakers. One voice is not enough. We need to come together and be the change we want to see.