Free Tuition for College Students

Free Tuition for College Students Gabriela Mendoza English 091 7:15 March 25, 2013 Free Tuition for College Students United States has been in a recession for quite some time now. College students need assistance during these hard times. Estrella Mountain Community College students are asking government to lend a helping hand with college expenses. EMCC students believe education should be paid for if students are able to maintain a 3. 0 GPA or higher. Their reasoning exemplifies that good work ethic should be rewarded.
In the year 2011, “College seniors graduated with an average of nearly $27,000 in student loan debt”, and the amount of debt has only continued to rise then (Ellis). Students that are able to maintain a 3. 0 GPA or higher should have tuition paid for in full by the government because it would decrease debt and loan amounts and will allow more people the opportunity at a higher education. Today’s society believes that the government lends out a lot of money to college students that do not even wind up finishing college.
If students default on loans and are not able to pay them back then the government lent the money out for no reason at all. According to an article posted by CNN, the percentage of borrowers who defaulted on their federal student loans within two years of their first payment jumped to 9. 1 percent in the fiscal year of 2011 from an 8. 8 percent the previous year (Ellis). “This represents 375,000 of the more than 4. 1 million borrowers who were required to start making payments on their student loans in the 12 months prior to October 2010 and defaulted before September 2011” (Cunningham 44).

Education paid for by the government for students that earn it would be money better spent. EMCC students agree that it would make more sense for the government to pay for education expenses for students that deserve it, rather than just lending out loans to students that will possibly default and not return payment. Having tuition paid for would change the lives of many individuals attending college, and would also be beneficial for the government to award students that deserve such an opportunity.
No debt from loans would definitely play a role in helping out the recession many are experiencing, especially students. With the petition put into action, students that are not financially stable will be able to receive a fully paid education that is debt free. In the article, “Delinquency: The Untold Story of Student Loan Borrowing” the writer does a great job explaining that in many cases students take out bigger loans than necessary to help with other expenses outside of education. (Cunningham, Alisa F. nd Gregory S. Kienzl 44). This dilemma that authors Cunningham and Kiezl so greatly explain in fact contribute to the amount of debt a student is accumulating. If students were awarded according to the petition being put forth from EMCC students, the borrowing of loans would not be as excessive. The students of EMCC understand that a college education can offer better career options, a higher salary, and a better life. It would be easier to attain these luxuries without accumulating debt in the process.
Today’s recession should not affect the life of students. Students keeping their academics up with a minimum of a 3. 0 GPA should be rewarded. In all, whether student can or cannot afford an education will not make any difference; their college expenses will depend on their academics standings. If the required GPA is met, their education will be paid for by the government. This will improve the economic hardships that many students are facing today. Works Cited Cunningham, Alisa F. Gregory S. Kienzl, and Policy Institute for Higher Education. “Delinquency: The Untold Story of Student Loan Borrowing. ” Delinquency: 2011 Institute for Higher Education Policy. <htt://www. eric. ed. gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet? accno=ED517424>. Ellis, Blake. “Average Student Loan Debt Nears $27,000. ” CNNMoney. Cable News Network, 18 Oct. 2012. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. The Percentage of Borrowers Who Defaulted on Their Federal Students Loans within Two