Blogs:

Today’s stark reality in our country is the skyrocketing tuition and crumbling higher education system. Students are forced to pay a whopping $21,189 as college tuition at the four-year colleges per year. This is a figure that cannot be afforded by fifty per cent of household with median income.

Students from the middle class are forced to choose mediocre education or be saddled with massive $24,000 student loan debt for life. This is a sad situation considering many students actually work hard and deserve quality education. For most middle class families in our country, the dream of using higher education to gain social mobility is fast fading.

Considering this situation, our President has decided to contain the spiralling college costs by forcing colleges to contain their tuition fee hike or face a cut in government financial aid. These price controls are the sad reality in our country which has always been the land of the free.

On the surface, forcing colleges to lower tuition rates sounds sensible. But, considering the economic condition and budget cuts, families reeling under fund crunch, increased enrolment and skyrocketing operational costs, how exactly are colleges going to run the show? The main source of revenue for educational institutions is increased tuition.

Institutions are going to struggle to find a balance in their budget and will be left in the lurch with decreased tuition rates. This will force them to cut jobs, school programs and planned renovations which in turn will lead to twofold consequences.

Education of America children will be hurt by cutting key school programs, building renovations and academic activities. This in turn will further decrease our country’s global prestige.
Academic opportunities for students will actually diminish with our President’s education promotion plan. Our economy will further be hurt through cuts in the college jobs as a direct solution to meet budget needs.

Colleges that do not comply with our President’s demand to lower tuition will face worse consequences. Their campus based aid programs will suffer including low-income students supplemental grants, Perkins loans and work-study programs.

This will lead to a situation where education will be totally out of reach for the underprivileged students and our President has always been stressing on the necessity of education for them. Ultimately, he is only punishing students by cutting aid for them.

Colleges are in a tight situation. By not complying, they face the risk of reduced financial aid programs sponsored by government wherein the students suffer and if they do comply, they are forced to cut jobs, renovations, academic opportunities and school programs hurting our economy.

If this financially irresponsible proposal goes through, it will set a dangerous precedent of unnecessary government interference wherein Americans are the ones who will be hurt.

For these very reasons, this proposal has been denounced by The American Council on Education. In addition to all this, our President plans on alleviating student loan burden by forgiving debts that student are unable to pay back.

This is a burden on the taxpayer who has to pay for those who are irresponsible enough not to try and pay back their debts. Students must continue to be held accountable for their debt. Government spending is at an all-time high and we face trillions of dollars of debt. Our government must not use taxpayer money to forgive loans for one segment of the population. They must, on the other hand, cut spending.