According to Cottom, “As of 2012, over half of the U.S. population has ‘some college’ or postsecondary education.” This means just over half of Americans have received any education after the twelfth grade; to help improve this statistic some people are demanding free tuition for every American. This debate of government paid tuition college is fueled by the idea of how much it would cost the nation and the possible ways to afford it, yet there are many other factors that affect the controversy of free college and how it would affect the nation positively or negatively. With the number of students leaving college with greater and greater debt each year, the need for the debate over free college is desperately needed. The pros and cons of government-paid …show more content…
For example, students who have recently graduated that do not have to worry about debt in the back of their minds are more likely to be a happier people and could help the community positively. Huevel says, “Young people, not burdened by debt, could be more entrepreneurial and more public spirited.” Continuing with the potential benefits to the nation, the United States workforce could be better prepared and be more useful to the nation. With almost every American going to college and obtaining a higher education one possible outcome could be “a better-educated workforce would help fill many of the [skill] gaps that prevent America's economy from growing faster” (Should College Be Free? Pros, Cons, and Alternatives p.10). Another way the entire nation would prosper due to government paid tuition college would be the improvement of the American economy. When people have a college degree they most likely will have a higher paying job than someone who does not have a degree, and people who have more money have a higher chance of buying things or investing, giving the economy a needed boost. It may seem to most that only the students receiving the free college tuition would gain, but America could gain as a