Going (to College) for Broke As soon as I started kindergarten, my father opened a bank account in my name and started saving money for the fund of my college. Despite his efforts, our family still cannot afford the unreasonable price of a state university, which leaves me with a scholarship as my last hope. Because of government cuts in spending on higher education, students like me must choose between going into debt to get a degree or skipping college while robbing themselves and the nation of their potential. Although many politicians believe that students should pay for college, the federal government should fund public higher education because it will help students and the United States economically, benefit American society, and provide graduates with the skills needed for the future. Free higher education has several economic benefits for students and the government. According to Thomas Mortenson of the American Council on Education, since 1980 tuition has increased 230 percent at state universities and 164 percent at community colleges. Student loan debt has reached $1 trillion. As Scott Hines, founder of World Education University, stated, “the return on investment is simply not there.” Many students choose to drop out or skip college altogether due to the high costs. These problems will be solved if the government funds universities and more people can graduate. The government currently spends billions of dollars on academic programs with very low graduation rates of around 30% (Samuels). This is because universities spend too much money on luxuries and amenities and, as a result, increase tuition while the quality of education remains the same. If higher education were government funded and if tuition caps were placed… middle of paper… the US government should act quickly and start funding our universities so we can compete intellectually with the rest of the world . Cited Baum, Sandy, Kathleen Payea. “Education Pays in 2004.” University Council. The College Council, 2004. Web. November 7, 2013. Baum, Sandy, Kathleen Payea, Jennifer Ma. “Education Pays Off in 2013.” University Council. The College Council, 2013. Web. November 7, 2013. Cohen, Howard. “Who should pay for higher education?” The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 2003. Web. November 7, 2013. Hines, Scott. “Why education should be free.” Becoming smart. February 15, 2013. Web. November 7, 2013. Mortenson, Thomas. “State Funding: A Race to the Bottom.” American Council on Education. American Council on Education, 2012. Web. November 7, 2013. Samuels, Bob. “Why all public higher education should be free.” Huffington Post. The Huffington Post Inc., November 18, 2011. Web. November 7. 2013.