Why a Free College Education is an Unrealistic Burden

Abstract

[University] The question of a free college education is a complex debate that involves an interplay of social and economic effects on students and taxpayers. Unlike elementary education, a college degree is a personal investment the government’s funding of college education is an unrealistic. While it could increase consumer spending and lower the social costs of crime and healthcare, a free college education would reduce the value and marketability of degrees (Brint 186). While a free college education may increase personal incomes and consumer spending, it is an investment and not a right that students can claim from taxpayers and the government. While students have a right to elementary and secondary education, they do not have a right to access higher education since attending college is an investment that increases future earnings. By attending college, students spend time and capital gaining skills that will increase lifetime revenue by about a million dollars during their employment. On the other hand, children have a right to elementary and secondary education to gain fundamental basic skills to navigate aspects of the day-to-day life. College education should not be free since it should be the result of a choice to invest in future personal revenue from employment. A free college education is a proposal that would be too expensive and burdensome for taxpayers and the government. It is not the responsivity of the taxpayers to pay for students’ education at college level but rather a personal choice on how to invest for the future. The choice to pursue a college degree is driven by the need to attain skills that prepare individuals for higher incomes during employment (Brint 187). The burden to the government and taxpayers would be too expensive and unrealistic to implement a free college education....