Imagine graduating high school and not being able to attend college afterward due to the amount of income received. Think of how it could affect the United States as a whole and California in particular. The majority of the United States population consist of middle class and minorities. How can this problem be addressed? The president needs to take action. He should take steps into further developing the middle class by working alongside them. The number of opportunities that would open up and would allow for easier access to education. If the federal government were to offer community college for up to two years for free it would reduce social issues across the United States and in California.
First and foremost, in the United States especially in California a considerable amount of institutions known as community colleges are working to provide middle-class college students up to two years of free education. Community colleges are doing something that those with authority should be pushing and making possible. According to the American Association of All Community Colleges, it has reported that “community colleges remain by far the most affordable sector of higher education.
” Community colleges on average have a full-time annual tuition and fees of approximately $3,435 and enroll more than 7.3 million students each year which is nearly 45% of all United States college undergraduates. In addition to this, at least five million college students take non-credit classes that happen to involve workforce-oriented programs which help build and progress job skills and qualities. The American Association of All Community Colleges also reports that the average student age is twenty-eight. In California, before going to a state or university college students look to attend community college in order to complete general education and their Association Transfer Degree. Students spend more than $3,800 each year on college classes and materials alone.
The distress paying for community college can leave students feeling emotionally, mentally exhausted, and financially stressed. Free community college for up to two years would ease students’ struggles and pain.Secondly, funding community college for up to two years to all residents will increase enrollments across the country and encourage people to pursue a higher education. Residents would feel more motivated and inclined to take advantage of the opportunity of free college. Former President of the United States Barack Obama stated in one of his speeches that “what he’d like to do is to see the first two years of community college free for everybody who is willing to work for it,” in doing so he proposed federally funding community colleges. Offering funding for community colleges could aid in producing quality workers and innovate students’ minds who are willing to expand and think vastly. In an article providing details of Obama’s free community college plan, Christi Parsons claims, “the U.
S. would pay up to 75% while the states would pay 25$ and that the community college proposal echoes one of Obama’s favorite themes: empowering the middle class through education and opportunity. He sees the decline in state funding for higher education as a major barrier to those aspiring to the middle class.
” Although I am not choosing sides, I do believe Barack Obama’s proposal is the right decision for the United States and California in order to progress the quality of education to move the country forward and create higher standards.There is almost a counter argument everywhere, opponents tried to disapprove this funding by arguing that this may not be affordable for the state. The government may fall into debt. This may increase the chances of corruption and funds will be used only for college administration not for the students. To allow the fund to happen the government will have to increase taxes on other duties and products, which will be bad for the state’s economy as well as for its people.
I agreed that it will increase the taxis, increase the economic burden on the state and will slow down the investment process to the other colleges in the states. I will take the saying from an article Funding 2 years of college is a small price to pay to get educated workers where Gene D Block says, “One can always find a reason to delay. However, it was during no less a perilous time than the Civil War that President Lincoln saw the importance of establishing land-grant colleges. In a response to the changes wrought by the Industrial Revolution, he signed the Morrill Act.
” Whatever the case is education is the key to success for each individual in the world. Even if there is enough burden on the government, it will be returned in the near future when students leave community colleges with a degree and start working in the career they choose. For the people that hire these students, this will economically groom California and the American people. Look at it this way when the middle class people and minorities get equal rights in education, they will make themselves good and loyal citizen for there country and this will prevent crimes from happening.Although providing funding for free community college for up to two years for all residents can be a huge step for the government, it can do more good than harm. Students will no longer have to feel overwhelmed about how they will get through college.
They will feel more willing to take advantage of free higher education. Middle-class families and minorities are barely getting by even now. Making community college free will create and solve fewer problems. The government investing in college students will contribute greatly to the rest of the community and economy as a whole. Two years of community college is something the government should consider as it can impact the United States and individual states futures.
