Community College Should Be Free

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Community college should be free
Introduction
The concerns over the rising cost of higher education have been on the rise in the recent times. Some people have argued to the effect that community colleges should be free while others have expressed their views to that education at this level should not be free. Both sides have had their say and none can be said to be better unless it is aligned to a particular situation. This paper presents a Rogerian argument on whether community college should be for free. Many factors that are considered in coming up with educational decisions have been considered as the basis for the stipulated arguments.
College education
Regardless of the different stances concerning the payment of fees in community colleges, there is a mutual consensus on the importance of the community colleges. The community colleges have been lauded to offer the educational requirements needed in different fields so as to supplement the education offered at the universities. This aspect is more analyzed in the view of the predictable turn of job requirements that are likely to need more of college education than is the case today. Despite the potential that community colleges offer on the improvement of education, the rising costs of them have prevented many students from attending. Those who attend have been forced to pay so much that there are cases of dropout due to lack of fees. This is so especially due to the economic fall-downs and the ever increasing cost of living.
Bray, Mark & Ora (2013) maintain that; despite the crucial role played by the community colleges, it is arguable whether those learning institutions should be for free. Payment of fees in the community colleges has been seen as the way to sustain the costs of both the tuition as well as the developments. The main point of argument over the view that community colleges should not be free emanate from the predicted high cost of running those institutions. This has made the opponents of the proposal that Community College should be free argue on the basis of the burden that implementation of such proposal would have on the state in terms of funding it.
The community colleges require huge funding in terms of payment for the tutoring personnel. Those require higher level of salaries due to the fact that they have higher education compared to the tutors in the elementary schools. Therefore, the magnitude of the tutors’ salary cost is not the same as in the elementary schools. The community colleges pose a higher demand in terms of funds than the lower levels of education. Making them free would therefore mean a huge burden to the government which may not be sustainable in the long run.
Kimball (2014) observes that; it is a fact that the community colleges also require huge funding in terms of developing and maintaining the facilities. These include the tutoring halls and the equipment utilized in the community colleges. The level of education at this stage, require more facilities and equipment than in the elementary level of education. Hence, making the education free at this level would mean a very big burden to the state.
It can also be argued that, considering the amount of funding required at those community colleges, if they are to be made free, and then there is high likelihood that the quality of the education will be diluted. This view emanates from the consideration that, the colleges may lack enough funds to sustain the required number of tutors as well as maintain the facilities. Buying of the required equipment and materials to enable smooth studies may also not be well effected due to shortage of funds if the community colleges became free.
According to Schudde, Lauren & Sara (2015) the crucial point that is given by professional against making the community colleges free is based on the theories of educational returns. Research has proved that, there are more private returns of education at this level of education. It is therefore advisable, for the cost of education at this level to be borne by the individuals receiving the education. This is opposed to the returns at the lower levels of education. At the lower levels of education, there are higher returns to the society as opposed to private returns. Therefore, it is crucial for the government to fund the education at this level and not at the higher levels such as the college level.
However, there cannot be said to be a distinct level at which the returns become higher o the individuals and less to the state. It is a tentative aspect which does not have the exact boundary line. On this basis, then, there has been agnosticism in some individuals. This is whereby; some people have argued that it is of no much interest whether the community colleges are free or not. This argument is based on the view that, even if the government does no fund the community colleges such that they are free, the funds could be spent on other areas which are still helpful to the social growth of the society.
Again, there is the argument that whether the community colleges are free or not, the commitment of the learners does not change. Hence, whether they are free or not is not important, rather the commitment of the learners and the tutors to achieve the maximum output in the educating is what is crucial.
Bray, Mark & Ora (2013) assert that; it is this agnostic kind of view that emanate with the income cap they should be utilized some levels. This is whereby, depending with the income of the family of the learners some levy is charged. If the learners come from families that are well up financially, then the college is not for free for them. Some levy is charged, calculated on the basis of their gross income. If a learner comes from a family that deem to be struggling with even the basics, then the community college fees should be scrapped for them.
The income cap notion is seen as a way of achieving socio economic justice such that those that are well p mitigate the costs to the poor. This way, learners from all socio...