High school students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher work hard to maintain their grades. A lot of those students also juggle jobs, sports, and extracurricular activities. High school students take on the responsibility of extracurricular activities because they want to exhibit the ability to manage multiple things at once. High school students whose parents can not afford college will get a job from their ninth grade year all the way up till their senior year while maintaining a B average. These students should be rewarded for their perseverance and dedication to doing well for themselves and their families. When students do well they should be rewarded and with the thought of free higher education more and more scholars will aim for excellence. High school students who have shown excellence in school with a GPA of 3.0 or higher should be rewarded with free education at college.
One crushing reason that can not be ignored is that many high school graduates go straight to the workforce instead of college because of the fear of debt. A lot of companies like Google and hospitals, that need bright students who work diligently like students with a B average GPA miss out because they can’t afford to go to college and get their degree. High school graduates in middle-class families can rarely afford to go to a second-year college never mind a four-year college and have to take out heavy loans. High school graduates fresh out of high school do not know about low-interest loans and most of the time take out high-interest loans that they can not pay back. If college was free for students with a B average then they would not stress about debt and focus on their grades and not have to work.
In some states like Chicago and Tennessee, they already have free schooling at community colleges. They demonstrate that it is possible for states to do this and still be able to thrive. If there are already places that have been doing so well with free higher education so can other states. President Obama made a speech in 2015, “In that speech, Obama said, “Tennessee, a state with Republican leadership, and Chicago, a city with Democratic leadership, are showing that free community college is possible. I want to spread that idea all across America so that two years of college becomes as free and universal in America as high school is today” (Powell). Barack Obama makes a valid point that Chicago is a democratic state and that Tennessee is a Republican and yet both states have colleges with free education. Tennessee does not use taxes by the people but a unique way to pay for their free schooling. “The plan would be funded from a lottery reserve – meaning no new taxes – and it would require students do community service to qualify, so it wouldn’t be seen as a handout” (Wermund). Tennessee uses the lottery to pay for college and have not added any debt to what they already have. Students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher benefit more than students with a low GPA with free schooling because the former goes to college longer. Tennessee and Chicago are only the beginning of free colleges, four-year universities can utilize the same method as Tennessee and Chicago and with students with high GPAs universities can have even more success.
College not only furthers one’s education it makes people into better citizens who contribute to society when they are older. Scholars with B average grades are more likely to pick majors that contribute to the economy, environment and further our advancements in technology. College graduates do not rely heavily on the government on assistance and know more about taking care of the environment. “These same alumni will also contribute $44,000 more in local and state taxes that advance civil services, enhance infrastructure, fund public schools and support the arts” (Tupa). There are many benefits to free schooling that far outweigh the cons of not giving free education to students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, for example, students with degrees are less likely to need government assistance like food stamps and students giving back to the community they grew up in.
College should be free for students because without free education so many students that deserve it will not be able to go. Mothers who have multiple children can’t afford to send them all. If that mom with the two or more kids had the support of free education then she wouldn’t have to make the difficult decision of having to pick only one B average or higher child that can or can not go to college. There are a lot of parents who have to make sacrifices to send their children to school by having to work multiple jobs and spending their day away from their kids. Free education could solve this issue for parents and students with a high enough GPA who achieve good grades but can not afford the thousands of dollars in college costs.
In conclusion, free higher education for students with a B average can be supported by several facts. Tennessee and Chicago are only the beginning of free colleges there are other states that will soon be joining them. Scholars with a GPA of 3.0 or higher make taxpayers and investors more comfortable with giving them money for free schooling because they have proven that they can be successful. The cons of free education like students not being motivated and money cost may seem phenomenal but compared to the benefits that college graduates offer the economy and their communities they are meek in comparison. There should be no room for debate on whether or not students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher should receive free education. As George H. W. Bush said, “Think about every problem, every challenge, we face. The solution to each starts with education” (Sharma). Education is not just a fancy diploma it is the key to our survival, our future problems on climate change and so much more. By having free higher education for students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher we give them the opportunity to do much more than what they could have done without a college diploma.
Works Cited
Powell, Farran. “See Where Tuition-Free College Is Offered.” U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report, Sept. 2018, www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2018-02-01/these-states-offer-tuition-free-college-programs.
Sharma, Sunil. “George H.W. Bush - The Global President.” Medium, Medium, 11 Dec. 2018, medium.com/@SunilSharmaUK/george-h-w-bush-the-global-president-41df5c2e0899.
Tupa, Abi. “News.” College Possible, 2 3 Aug. 2018, www.collegepossible.org/news/the-economic-impact-of-college-degree-holders/.
Wermund, Benjamin. “The Red State That Loves Free College.” The Agenda, 16 Jan. 2019, www.politico.com/agenda/story/2019/01/16/tennessee-free-college-000867.