Pros And Cons Of Should Community College Be Free

All around the United States, there are people who probably never got the chance to go to college, not because they didn’t want to or weren’t motivated enough, but instead they couldn’t afford to go. In his book, The World Is Flat, Thomas L. Friedman talks about globalization, which means that the world is being flattened. What this means is countries are now able to compete with each other. One solution that would help people in a flattening world is free community college for two years. A majority of people have given up on the idea of college simply because it’s too expensive. What if community college was free for two years? Now people wouldn’t have an excuse to not go to college. But will students be as motivated and not slack off

People argue that if community college becomes free, students won’t be as motivated to go. They assume that students will slack off and won’t care enough to even try. According to the article, “Should College Be Free? Pros, Cons, and Alternatives” it mentions how some people are opposed to free college tuition because they believe students will lose interest. “Students might take their college education less seriously if they don’t have to pay for it.” I would have to disagree with these people considering that in order to obtain free community college for two years students have to meet certain requirements. According to, “FACT SHEET – White House Unveils America’s College Promise Proposal: Tuition-Free Community College for Responsible Students,” some of the requirements include, “Students who attend at least half-time, maintain a 2.5 GPA while in college, and make steady progress toward completing their program will have their tuition eliminated.” This opportunity is not just handed to people who are not willing to try, but for who are passionate enough to further their education. I believe this proposition will be very beneficial to the Yakima Valley because it will allow more people to attend college without having to stress about paying tuition every quarter. I also think this will help better our

This will allow many people who can’t afford college to have an opportunity to attend, without having to stress about falling in debt or dropping out simply because they couldn’t pay. In his book, Friedman states, “So a poorly funded and staffed high school today is a pathway to a dead end” (361). He continues by quoting Marc Tucker, “Therefore, we have to find a way to educate all of our young people to a very high standard. Otherwise, if you don’t upgrade their skills, the only way the low-skilled can compete is by driving down the wages” (quoted in Friedman 361). What both, Friedman and Tucker, mean by this is poorly funded schools are not educating kids to be fully prepared for attaining high-skilled jobs. Since the world has flattened out it is harder for people without higher education to find a job. Many jobs today are being outsourced or automated. Which simply means machines and people from other countries are able to do the same jobs as Americans for a lower cost. With this reason it is becoming hard for people with low-education or low-skills to compete. In his article, “The Working Class Gets Little Support for Training,” R. Thomas Buffenbarger, the president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, states, blue-collar kids find the path to college blocked by exorbitant tuition costs, intense academic