PublicHigher Education Should Be Free

Thedebate on whether public higher education should be free hasattracted a lot of concern. There are individuals who have missed theopportunity of receiving a higher education because they cannot be ina position to afford to pay for their education (Samuels 84). Highereducation needs to be available to a larger number of people, therebyimproving their knowledge levels and the ability to integrate variousissues so that they may be more analytical and have the skillsnecessary to make sound decisions as well as solve different problemsaround the world. Such skills will enable the people to be moreresourceful in the society and, therefore, add value to the lives ofother people. They shall also interact with people, therebyincreasing their interpersonal skills. Higher education today isquite expensive, and most families rely on the ability to makeconsistent savings that will be used to finance the education oftheir children. Other families also rely on the likelihood ofstudents to land scholarships which will finance their tuition.However, such schemes are not sufficient and quite competitive.Therefore, the merit that is normally used to enroll students intoscholarship programs usually results in a small portion of studentswho qualify for enrollment. In the end, many students lack theopportunity to further their academic dreams, even though they mayhave had moderate performance that warrants them to take highereducation. The case is normally characterized by the shattered dreamsof such students who could have dreamed of taking up professionalcareers in the future. Thus, they contend with landing blue-collarjobs that at times could be an underutilization of the talents thatthey generally have. People who have access to higher educationincrease their perspective on issues which makes them highlyproactive and in a position to come up with ideas that arerevolutionary. They, therefore, become agents of change in manysocieties. In most cases, students from rich families have benefitedfrom higher education since their families can afford to pay fortheir school fees. There are numerous benefits that emanate frompublic higher education being free. This report will argue thatpublic higher education is supposed to be free due to the merits thatit accrues.

Thegovernment should make higher education free because it would befeasible to provide cure to the ills in society. One of the areaswhere individuals have been discriminated is in the provision ofhigher education. The discrimination originates from the notion thatlearners should pay for their education. This being the case, only afew people end up receiving tertiary education. The poor have notbeen in a position to pay for their tertiary education since theyonly receive a small fraction from the government in the form ofloans and bursaries. However, in case higher education was made free,it would be possible to eliminate the issue of discrimination in theprovision of tertiary education. The elimination of discriminationwould ensure that learners obtain equal opportunities in societysince it would be feasible to make the poor benefit from education,which would assist in providing a cure to issues that may be facingthe disadvantaged such as unemployment (Robert 48). This makes theprovision of free higher education an important consideration.

Freepublic higher education would ensure that a lot of individuals becomeeducated, which would be for the greater good of the society.Education gives people the power to earn as well as live qualitylifestyles. Educated individuals can be in a position to getwell-paying jobs and are capable of reasoning in ways that can addvalue to the society. For instance, educated individuals can be in aposition to employ a large number of community members, which can aidin the elimination or mitigation of poverty in society. In casetertiary education was made free, it would be feasible to have anincrease in the number of individuals that are educated a move thatwould ensure that the society has generations that live qualitylives. Sometimes, people may lack the motivation to acquire highereducation since they may not have resources to pay for theireducation. However, if higher education was made free, individualsare likely to get the motivation to acquire tertiary education.

Freehigher education would have the benefit of improving the issue ofgovernance in society. When people are educated up to the tertiarylevel, they possess skills that can be used in enhancing governancein society (Gross 84). The issue of governance is a critical aspectof society since it helps in ensuring that a country is headed in theright direction. Besides, when there is good governance in society,there is a higher likelihood of individuals having improved lives inthe society. In case higher education was made free, people who arein governance would acquire skills for free that would give them theappropriate leadership qualities. This would ensure that society isheaded in the right course.

Anothermerit that would accrue from the provision of free higher educationis that it would help in the utilization of untapped knowledge. Someindividuals have not been in a position to show their potentialbecause they have not been offered the opportunity to depict theirknowledge or untapped capabilities. When people are not given achance to learn for free, it can be exceedingly difficult to makethem discover their potentials. In most cases, tertiary centers havehelped individuals to discover their capabilities. Individuals who donot get the opportunity to proceed to tertiary centers due to moneyproblems end up not discovering that they have untapped capabilities.Thus, in case higher education was made free, it would be feasible toprovide an opportunity to all individuals to demonstrate theirabilities. This would be an important aspect since it would givepeople the power to rely on their capabilities instead of dependingon others in society.

Makinghigher education free also increases the amount of people who canventure into careers that they are interested in (Toutkoushian et al.64). Given the fact that they will already have an interest in thesaid careers, there is a high likelihood that they will follow themthrough with great enthusiasm, thereby increasing the chances ofbeing highly competent in said fields. Such people will also spend alot of attention to the careers they are pursuing because they willnot need to worry about tuition fees. Such students will thereby beof great benefit given the fact that they will have developed theskills necessary to carry out their activities. In the end, suchpeople end up being a motivation to others who may be willing toventure into such careers. Those who are below them, such as theirchildren will, therefore, depict better levels of performance intheir endeavors as they will seek to achieve the high levels ofsuccess that are shown by their parents.

Theinput of legislators is also crucial for the attainment of freehigher education. They are the ones with the ability to pass lawsthat will control the amount of fee levees that are made by giveninstitutions of higher learning. In case a significant cap is put ontuition fees that they charge, it will be possible for other playerssuch as donors to provide the financing that they need, whereby theywill be motivated by the reduced amounts that they need to pay andwill readily join to bridge the gap that exists. The politicians arealso able to call the institutions that contravene the low feepolicies that are recommended into accountability. They will therebyincrease the ability and willingness of such institutions to developstructures that will greatly reduce the number of school fees thatthey charge. Legislators are also able to pass laws and secure budgetallocations for the financing of higher education. In the end, suchcases will result in a large number of people being able to obtainthe education they need to pursue their professional dreams.

Freepublic higher education will also result in many people havingrestored faith in the government and will, therefore, actively takepart in politics. People will have the feeling that the governmenthas their interests at heart and will, as a result, want to getinvolved in the various activities that it offers. They will alsofollow through the different political activities that go around inthe country and will increase their likelihood of having an input insuch ventures. As a result, they will find it easy to venture intopolitical endeavors and provide ideas that will benefit society. Theymay also take part in voting for politicians who have the ability tobring about legislations that have a great impact on the lives ofpeople. In the end, the general effect of making education freeincreases the willingness to make decisions that will have a goodimpact on them.

Besides,free higher education would ensure that there is social equality. Insociety, there are different cultures which dictate how individualsget higher education (Roth 5). Some cultures may make people notthink of receiving a higher education since the cultures may berestrictive. Alternatively, some individuals may not receive atertiary education because they may hold the view that the societydoes not provide encouragement towards receiving higher education.Also, failure of governments to provide policies that encouragepeople to acquire free tertiary education leads to social inequalitysince only a few individuals benefit. However, in case policies onfree higher education become implemented, it would be possible toeliminate social inequality because a lot of individuals in societywould end up benefiting from the education.

Furthermore,free higher education would be of benefit since it would ensureeconomic benefit to the society. In case higher education was madefree, the society would benefit economically since a big number ofpeople are likely to become employed or engage in economic activitiesthat would provide resources to the society (Keenan 52). Thisoriginates from the reasoning that educated individuals are likely tomake better and reasonable decisions, which would result inbenefiting the society economically. Therefore, free higher educationwould ensure that individuals contribute immensely to the economy ofsociety.

Conclusion

Inconclusion, education is necessary and increases the ability ofpeople to coexist and find more desirable ways of doing things. Italso makes people have the ability to improve their standards ofliving as they will have enhanced levels of thinking as well as ahigh potential of carrying out endeavors that will result in hugeeconomic benefits for them. Such people are also able to accommodatepeople from different cultures as well as embracing a certain change,especially in areas where the given change has a higher chance ofbeing beneficial to them. People experience limitations when theyseek education due to the high costs of accessing it, and they facethe likelihood of lacking the opportunities that come with gainingcritical knowledge. In the end, the general growth and development ofthe world are put at stake. Such an issue is well addressed with theinstitution of free higher education where people can obtain as muchknowledge as they wish in a given area. Furthermore, free highereducation is likely to make people discover their potentials sincethey would have the opportunity to learn for free. Indeed, thesociety is likely to benefit more from the provision of free highereducation. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that there is freepublic higher education.

WorksCited

Gross,Valerie J. TransformingOur Image, Building Our Brand: The Education Advantage.Santa Barbara, Calif: Libraries Unlimited, 2013. Print.

Keenan,James F. UniversityEthics: How Colleges Can Build and Benefit from a Culture of Ethics.Lanham: Rowman &amp Littlefield, 2015. Print.

Robert,Samuels.&nbspWhyPublic Education Should Be Free: How to Decrease Costs and IncreaseQuality at American Universities. RutgersUniversity Press, 2013. Print.

Roth,Michael S. Beyondthe Why Liberal Education Matters.New Haven London: Yale University Press, 2014. Print.

Samuels,Bob. MakingAll Public Higher Education Free.Los Angeles: University of California, 2013. Print.

Toutkoushian,Robert K, and Michael B. Paulsen. Economicsof Higher Education: Background, Concepts, and Applications.Dordrecht: Springer Science, 2016. Print.

Publichigher education should be free

Highereducation needs to be availed to a larger number of people, therebyimproving their knowledge levels and the ability to integrate variousissues so that they may be more analytical and have the skillsnecessary to make sound decisions as well as solve different problemsaround the world. Such skills will enable the people to be moreresourceful in the society and, therefore, add value to the lives ofother people. They shall also interact with people, therebyincreasing their interpersonal skills. People who access highereducation also increase their perspective on issues which makes themhighly proactive and in a position to come up with ideas that arerevolutionary. They, therefore become agents of change in manysocieties. Thepaper will highlight the importance of having a free higher educationwhile providing a counter-argument towards the same.

Highereducation today is quite expensive and most families rely on theability to make consistent savings which will be used to finance theeducation of their children. Other families also rely on thelikelihood of students to land scholarships which will finance theirtuition. However, such schemes are not sufficient and quitecompetitive. Therefore, the merit that is normally used to enrollstudents into scholarship programs usually results in a portion ofstudents who have qualified being enrolled. In the end, many studentslack the opportunity to further their academic dreams although theymay have had moderate performance that warrants them to take highereducation. The case is normally characterized with the shattering ofdreams of such students who could have a dream of taking upprofessional careers in future. They, therefore contend with landingblue-collar jobs that at times could be an underutilization of thetalents that they generally have.

Theinability to finance higher education has also resulted in somecommunities lacking the zeal to put in more efforts in academics.They act on the precipice that their hard work will not be rewardedin the end as they will not get the chance to advance theirprofessional goals even if they attain good grades that qualify forhigher education. In worse cases, such students could drop out ofschool early in life and venture in menial jobs that offer them alittle chance of advancements due to lack of qualifications. In theend, the quality of life of such people is greatly affected as theywill have minimal opportunities coming their way. A ripple effect iscreated whereby such people have a low economic capability and,therefore, fail to afford to cater for the higher education of theirchildren. They may also fail to inspire their children to work hardin school, and the said children could end up facing the sameproblems that the parents did.

Afree public higher education free will also result in many peoplehaving faith in the government and will, therefore, actively takepart in politics. People will have the feeling that the governmenthas their interests at heart and will, as a result, have the feelingto get involved in the various activities that it does. They willalso follow through the different political activities that go aroundin the country and will increase their likelihood of having an inputin such ventures. As a result, they will find it easy to venture intopolitical endeavors and provide ideas will benefit the society. Theymay also take part in voting in politicians who have the ability tobring about legislations that have a great impact on the lives ofpeople. In the end, the general effect of making education freeincreases the willingness to make decisions that will have a goodimpact on them.

Makinghigher education free also increases the ability of people to ventureinto careers that they are interested in. Given the fact that theywill already have an interest in the said careers, there is a highlikelihood that they shall follow them through with great enthusiasm,thereby increasing the chances of being highly competent in the saidfields. Such people will also spend a lot of attention in the careersthat they are pursuing because they will not need to worry abouttuition fees. Such students will thereby be of great benefit giventhe fact that they will have developed the skills necessary to carryout their activities. In the end, such people end up being amotivation to others who may be willing to venture in such careers.Thosewho are below them,such as their children will, therefore, depict better levels ofperformance in their endeavors as they will seek to achieve highlevels of success that are shown by their parents.

Wherehighereducation is free, it also increases the level of developments andadvancements that may be made in various fields. It makes more peopleto get involved in such areas of study, and they are bound to bringin varying ideas that could result in many inventions and innovationsmade in such areas. For instance, the advancements made in the fieldof information technology is as a result of the input made by variousplayers. Where there are many people taking part in a given endeavor,there is high chance that they will be able to put in concertedefforts whereby they brainstorm on the measures that may be used toimprove the growth of such fields. The situation is normally aided bythe fact that the different professionals bring in differentperspectives in the given field, thereby increasing the ability ofother people to build upon the given information that they have tocome up with new creations. Where such situations are sustained,fields such as medicine will experience immense advancements.

Theissue of free higher education needs the input of various parties tobe achievable. Such partners include government agencies that arealigned to the education sector. It also requires the input ofinstitutions of higher learning that may formulate ways through whichthey may relax some charges offered on the education that they offerin a bid to enhance the likelihood of incentives being provided insuch areas. Education donor agencies that provide scholarships andfellowship programs may also provide funding towards higher educationto increase the subsidies that are heavily needed in tertiaryinstitutions. Higher education institutions may also find waysthrough which they could source for some finances through makingpublications which they could sell to make more income. As a result,the money they obtain could be used for reducing the cost of runningthe different academic programs in the institutions.

Theinput of legislators is also crucial for the attainment of freehigher education. They are the ones with the ability to pass lawsthat will control the amount of fee levees that are made by giveninstitutions of higher learning. Where a significant cap is put ontuition fees that they charge, it will be possible for other playerssuch as donors to provide the financing that they need, whereby theywill be motivated by the reduced amounts that they need to pay andwill readily join to bridge the gap that exists. The politicians arealso able to call the institutions that contravene the low feepolicies that are recommended into accountability. They will therebyincrease the ability and willingness of such institutions to developstructures that will greatly reduce the number of school fees thatthey charge. Legislators are also able to pass laws and secure budgetallocations for the financing of higher education. In the end, such acase will result in a large number of people being able to obtain theeducation that they need to pursue their professional dreams.

Someparties are against the idea of free higher education arguing thatmost of the activities in institutions of higher learning are quiteexpensive to run and, therefore require the input of learner wherethey need to meet the cost of the studies that they receive. They goon to state that the involvement of the government in meeting thecost of running public institutions of higher learning will onlyresult in a strain on the resources that the government has and will,therefore, decrease its capacity to provide other equally essentialservices such as the construction of public infrastructure likeroads. The opposing entities are also for the idea that making thestudies free would create a situation whereby the higher educationsystem is overused. In the end, the quality of education in suchinstitutions will greatly reduce to the point whereby they will notbe of great value to learners.

Whilethe arguments provided by those against free higher education appearto be sensible, the issues of contention may well be handled withproperly laid down structures. For instance, the intake to thespecific programs offered in tertiary institutions could be based onmerit, thereby, reducing the unnecessary overuse of availableresources. It will also ensure that only people who are genuinelyinterested in the professional courses offered in the institutionsapply and get into the courses. The input of fee cap on theinstitutions will also ensure that the government will need to partwith lesser amounts of money to finance the programs offered by theinstitutions. The government will also receive the support ofdifferent agencies that fund education scholarship to make highereducation free. Such a process will be quite crucial in making morepeople gain access higher education.

Inconclusion, education is necessary and increases the ability ofpeople to coexist and find more desirable ways of doing things. Italso makes people have the ability to improve their standards ofliving as they will have enhanced levels of thinking as well as havea high potential of carrying out endeavors that will result in hugeeconomic benefits for them. Such people are also able to accommodatepeople from different cultures as well as having the ability toembrace a certain change, especially in areas where the given changehas a higher chance of being beneficial to them. Where peopleexperience a limit when they seek education due to the high cost ofaccessing it, they face the likelihood of lacking the opportunitiesthat come with gaining lots of knowledge. In the end, the generalgrowth and development of the world are put at stake. Such an issueis well addressed with the institution of free higher education wherepeople can obtain as much knowledge as they wish in a given area.