Public Education

SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1 Why Higher Education Should Not Be Free

Analyzing the Arguments

A highly educated populace is not a luxury in the 21st century - it is a necessity . A combination of governmental and economic forces has combined in recent years to limit access to higher education to a smaller subset of the American population . Clearly , changes to the higher education system and the systems which finance it need to be made if the American economy is to grow in the decades to come

Some have proposed a system in

which higher education be funded entirely by the taxpayers . Maintaining this type of system nationwide is a noble thought , but fraught with problems . On the other end of the spectrum , some argue that the government has little or no business in the realm of higher education . On grounds of fairness their arguments have some merit , but they do not address the fundamental economic and social problems created by lack of access to higher education

Until these issues are approached from a fresh perspective the problems will only feed upon themselves . The answer is not at one end or the other of the ideological spectrum . In fact , it is not ideological at all - It is practical . Minimizing the government 's role is important for a host of reasons . Eliminating it entirely is not a viable option

Arguments for Free Education

Many proponents frame their support for free higher education in moral terms . Our ancestors have fought , died , worked...