Free College Conflicting Viewpoints Essay Part 1

FREE COLLEGE CONFLICTING VIEWPOINTS ESSAY PART 1 6 Free College Conflicting Viewpoints Essay Part 1

For this assignment, the selected approved topic is free college where the conflicting viewpoints are a result of trying to respond to the question; “should public college be tuition free?” I support the idea that in deed public colleges should offer tuition for free because I have solid and logical reasons that make me feel this is the best decision that should be embraced. However, the Procon.org Website provides balanced ideas that supports and also opposes the idea of free public college. Some of the ideas featured that opposes the idea include;

• Tuition-free college is not free college and students will still have large debts.
• Taxpayers would spend billions to subsidize tuition, while other college costs remained high.
• Tuition-free College will decrease completion rates, leaving students without the benefits of a full college education and degree.

Despite being in support of the idea that public colleges should offer free-tuition, it is evident that even the opposing arguments also have some logical arguments that should not be ignored. This conflicting views essay shall focus on reviewing the opposing arguments with the application of Elbow’s suggested “believing” questions. Through the questions, a different point of view shall be created in order to perceive the issue from a wider context.

Discussion

Premise 1: Tuition-free College is not free college and students will still have large debts. One of the interesting thing about this view is the fact that it helps in raising an alarm as to how free college tuition can be really free. The more reason in the past when free-college tuition has been said to be offered ended up attracting other charges that are not directly termed as tuition and the parents have to pay in one way or the other. Hence, it is a view that helps in creating the need to look at the issue in a deeper context so that even in the case the idea is approved, no other charges that students would be requested to pay hence making tuition in public colleges in deed free. In the case I believed in this view, I would notice the many other ways that students in public colleges and are said to be enjoying a free-tuition are being charged. Hence, the view would open up my perception and see other minor levies being charged by public college administrations that should not be charged in the case a free-tuition was being implemented. In reality, this idea might be true because in the past where free-college tuition has been offered; complains have been heard that other charges that cannot be explained has been included for parents to pay.

Premise 2: Taxpayers would spend billions to subsidize tuition, while other college costs remained high. In this view, it is interesting to note that making public colleges free of tuition charges would be addressing the problem partially while all tax payers would have to contribute and not all tax payers children will benefit. The more reason being available public colleges can barely handle half the population of students joining colleges. Which means it is a program that would benefit some and some tax payers will pay for education twice as they would have to pay for their students joining private colleges. In the case I believed in this view, I would have noticed the relatively high number of students joining private colleges and they have to pay double the charges being levied by public colleges. The more reason being this is the real situation on the ground where students joining private colleges are subjected to high fees that a majority of parents cannot afford and on the other hand, the government does not have adequate number of colleges that can adsorb all students. It is a view that would me feels like it is better to focus on putting up more public colleges that offer affordable charges than to make college tuition free in a case where there are no adequate numbers of colleges. This idea has a relatively high rate of accuracy because it is evident that a majority of private colleges charge as much as double the public colleges. Again, a big number of students do not access space in public colleges being left with a single option of joining private colleges.

Premise 3: Tuition-free College will decrease completion rates, leaving students without the benefits of a full college education and degree. From this view, I have learned an interesting idea that initially never closed my mind that it is because parents are paying for their children’s college tuition fee that they encourage their children to study hard and make the best out of available educational option. This means by making public colleges tuition-free, it means that the parents will start losing touch with college educational program gradually reducing the pressure and emphasis that they make on their children. As a matter of reality, it is likely to make private colleges students to be performing better and focus on completing their course as compared to public colleges with tuition-free programs in place. In the case I had believed in this view, one of the things I could have noted is the impact that fee remittance has on students, their parents, and the school management. The more reason is that the payment of fee makes all stakeholders watchdogs over the other parties and progress is realized in overall. This claim can be said to be partly correct and partly vague because there are students who are passionate about their studies and do not need parental emphasis for them to take care of their academic performance. There are also students in best colleges where parents pay high fees and they make emphasis but the students do not have the passion or attitude. Hence, the argument is true in some cases and invalid in others.

Conclusion

According to the “The Believing Game and How to Make Conflicting Opinions More Fruitful” available on ; there is always two sides of the coin. However, a person applying critical thinking would select one side to support but it is also important to listen and understand opposing arguments. This is the only way a person can understand issues from a wider and deep context.

For instance in the idea of having public colleges having a free-tuition program, it is evident that I supported the idea and with valid reasons. Surprisingly, after granting the opposing views attention to understand reasons and arguments, I have learned that there are also valid and logical reasons as to why the idea is not entirely good. It is by understand all arguments whether positive or negative that one can make and take the best and recommendable decisions and actions.

References

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