College Tuition Subsidization

1326 Words6 Pages
The current amount of college tuition being subsidized by the state of California is more than generous. It is not the state’s duty to ensure that every student can afford a higher education, yet California still subsidizes almost half of college tuition. Californians must recognize that this is not an obligatory act but an act of kindness. The state is overly generous in supporting its youth with tuition subsidies and should consider decreasing funding. Tuition subsidies are not as helpful as students believe them to be, but in fact cause more harm than good. Pursuing a higher education is a personal choice that students must take accountability for, mentally and financially. Let’s say Jill, a recent high school graduate, is considering applying to college. She evaluates her work habits, her ability to handle stress, and her motivation to complete tasks, and realizes she’s just not ready to handle the workload that comes with college courses. The logical thing for her to do is postpone her college enrollment until she’s ready. Likewise, if Jill was mentally prepared, yet knows she isn’t ready to handle the financial burden of attending a university, it would be beneficial for her to take some time off, work a year or two, and save up a college fund that would enable her to pay tuition costs; she could also take out loans to make up for what she isn’t able to pay. Even after subtracting the costs of tuition and fees, college graduates would have plenty of profit left over to pay off student loans, as their lifetime earnings are roughly $650,000 more than those who don’t obtain a higher education (Cohn, 2011). It is only rational that those who benefit from schooling, the students, pay the majority of the costs. With California’s current $16 billion budget deficit it is no surprise that Proposition 30 was needed to prevent a decrease in state funding to
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