The dream of higher education is that it plays an important role in shaping society, but that can’t be done effectively if very few can go. In recent years there has been a lot of discussions about making college more accessible and even free.
The affordability of college became a hot button issue in the 2016 presidential election. Candidates such as Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders lead the charge to make college more accessible to low-income Americans. Sanders believed that reducing cost was important in creating a strong workforce and that, “We won’t achieve that if, every year, hundreds of thousands of bright young people cannot afford to go to college while millions more leave school deeply in debt”(Walters, 2). The current education system is failing to fulfill its purpose. If the goal is to have a strong workforce and a strong economy, then not enough is being done to fill positions. There are incredibly brilliant minds in America that can contribute in a significant way but may never get the chance to because of their social group.
Image: Stocked Library Shelves
Image: "Free Education To All" banner on clock tower at New York City's historic Cooper Union college
Higher education is important in making sure American citizens will be able to adequately support themselves, their family, and the economy. It also is a place where individuals learn how to communicate effectively with the people and cultures of this diverse world. It is a place to learn about how to live as an informed and involved citizen and how to think about the world today. In any career path individuals will have to work with diverse groups. It’s important for them to understand and respect the people they work with. Higher education isn’t the sole arbiter of human decency, but it is apart for that development phase. Higher education institutions gives students experiences they may have never had without having access to it. Students can meet all kinds of people and get hands on experience in dealing with people.
The former President, Barack Obama, understood this, which is why in 2009 he introduced a new policy, The American Graduation Initiative, and in 2015 under the A.G.I. he introduced the American College Promise. “The ACP provides an action plan that commits the nation to support free community college education to eligible students as a means to make economic mobility a potential reality”(Palmadessa, 11). Like many Presidents before him, Obama understands the importance of education for the nation. An educated workforce will be eligible for jobs that will help support the economy. As the nation increasingly becomes technologically advanced the workforce needs to understand these technologies.
The promise of college is that students will walk away with a new understanding of the world. That the things they learned will be useful to them throughout their life. That they not just learn the skills for theirs career, but also the skills of living. That they “[…] develop the capacity to think critically about the present—an indispensable attribute of a healthy democracy”(Delbanco, 3). It is the duty of a citizen to seek knowledge and skills beyond the small scope of their major. It is necessary to attain a large repertoire of diverse skill sets. The American people are of the world, and many consider it to be the strongest of the world. It is the responsibility of Americans to ensure that the people they produce have an intelligent understanding of this world. That can only be done by granting access to education to more citizens.