Szajnzinger. Free Tuition. February 17, 2018.
Free
tuition is something many students have dreamt about as they yearn for the day
that they will be debt free. The
reality, however, is that one in two students in British Columbia will graduate
with student debt, 60% of whom owe more than $20,000 (BCFS p. 3).
Subsidizing
tuition, whether in whole or in part, should be looked at as an investment in
the health of the population, and the economic well-being of the country. According to a CDC report from 2012, women
with a bachelor’s degree were 39-43% less likely to be obese, 9% of adults with
a bachelor’s degree or higher were smokers compared to 31% of adults with a
high school diploma or less.
Denmark
has one of the highest graduation rates for post-secondary education in the
OECD. The Danish government pays
students around $900 per month on top of waiving school fees to be able to
afford housing, food and support during their tenure as students. Students graduate without debt, and it is seen
as an investment in the future of the country.
Tuition should be a right, accessible to all, rather than to those who
have the financial ability.
In British Columbia, tuition fees have more
than doubled since 2001 (BCFS p.6). “According
to research by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, in 2012 British
Columbians with university education paid between $80,300 and $140,000 more in
income taxes, and required between $15,400 and $18,100 less in government aid
throughout their lifetimes” (BCFS p.4).
According to
the OECD, Canada has the highest level of tertiary educated citizens within
member countries. At the same time, the main issue facing students of today is
the debt that they will be burdened with when they finish school. This is prompting many people to choose a
path that does not take them through post-secondary education, which could have
serious effects on the state of the economy in the future.
If all
students were judged on merit alone, rather than their ability to afford the
prohibitive costs of school, it would be advantageous for British Columbia, and
Canada, to offer post-secondary education as tuition free.
References
Connecting the Dots. http://www.wearebcstudents.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/GR-BC-Budget-2018-Submission-1.pdf
Accessed February 12, 2018
http://www.independent.co.uk/student/study-abroad/free-university-education-courses-study-abroad-brexit-erasmus-students-germany-copenhagen-france-a7457576.html
Minty, S.
(2016). Getting into Higher Education: Young People's Views of Fairness. Scottish
Educational Review, 48(1), 48-62. Retrieved on January 27, 2018
from https://libsecure.camosun.bc.ca:2443/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1117623&site=eds-live
http://www.businessinsider.com/hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders-education-college-affordability-2016-2
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/bernie-sanders-america-needs-free-college-now/2015/10/22/a3d05512-7685-11e5-bc80-9091021aeb69_story.html?utm_term=.f92235558a60
While I agree student debt load is not only a major issue for graduates to tackle, but it also prohibits their full participation in the economy, which is bad for everyone, I do not think the debt load alone is the sole problem. Rather I believe that job security and availability is the real issue, a problem which cannot be solved by waiving tuition fees. Additionally, these programs will be costly to administer which will further strain the economy. I think a better investment for students would be increased opportunities to participate in paid internships to gain the experience they need to be more employable when they graduate. Ultimately, I would like to see the Government focus more on job creation, especially since post secondary graduates are only one group of citizens now struggling to obtain and maintain employment.
ReplyDeleteI like what you had to say. I do think a higher level of education should be more accessible to all, however I think everyone needs to put some money into it. I believe if someone does really well in there program then they can maybe have some of there tuition returned to them. People need to have some money in it for there own commitment, so why not giver back to those that do well and do there best. I think a free education is unreasonable especially considering those tax payers that had to pay to go to school previously would also be funding younger people to go to school free of charge. Taxes are already high for a lot of people and those people that pay way higher taxes have spent years and thousands for a good eduction... Why penalized those people so much more and make them pay for other peoples schooling.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up points about free tuition I hadn't even considered. First, you use two figures to highlight the health complications associated with not getting a post secondary education and they are significant. Using Denmark as an example of a country that offers free tuition may be a go to for many arguments on this debate but you also point out that they pay the living costs for students which I don't think many consider when we talk about free tuition. I think it's accepted that most people might just live with their parents or still hold a job even if tuition were free. However, I think you're strongest economic argument is that people with post-secondary degrees will make more money, contributing more tax dollars and costing the government less in assistance than those who don't. Essentially you're saying that free tuition. "practically pays for itself" through health savings and recoup in tax after the fact. My only gripe is that you could've used that to close you piece. It would've tied it altogether nicely. Great job.
ReplyDelete