Should college be free? The answer is simple, no. My thought process isn’t based solely on the fact that I like to spend money, but also that making something as meaningful as college free would degrade the importance of college, subdue high school importance, and make the college education you receive worse, because no one is paying for it.

The importance of college is already decreasing a small bit each year, and making the education free would speed up that process big time. An article from US News, Kevin James writes, “a recent Gallup-Lumina Foundation survey found that only four in 10 Americans agree that colleges are changing to “better meet the needs of today’s students.” Only 13 percent of respondents felt that college graduates are “well-prepared for success in the workforce.”” That being said, we should continue to pay for the higher education we’re receiving; as long as people are paying for their education, they will feel more compelled to try their best and make sure their education pays off. Making college free will turn college into a second high school experience. In an article by Kelly P. Andrew, she writes, “Providing a free public option might actually diminish some students’ chances of finishing a degree.” The quality of education will subside due to the fact that students will pay less attention in class, which will cause professors to put in less work; it’s a spiral effect.

Making college free would turn into a government dictatorship in the industry. Suddenly, the education would become less of what students want their personalized education to be, and more of how the government wants the colleges and universities to run. Professors would worry more about keeping their jobs and making the government happy than educating their students to the fullest of their ability. In her article, “The Bumpy Road to Free College,” Karin Fischer writes, “Perhaps the federal government could decide to set salary caps for faculty members or decree that professors should be holding office hours on Friday mornings rather than talking with reporters, says Mr. Rose, of Florida Atlantic. “Suddenly you’d find us talking about states’ rights in the faculty meeting.”

You may think free college education doesn’t sound too bad, but how many jobs can you get with your high school GED? Years ago, people could get a good job as a secretary or a manager without a college education and they were able to sustain themselves. Over the years, that has changed and now you need a bachelors’ degree to get any good job. Making that education free would diminish the importance and people would need masters and doctrines in order to get a good job. That requires years of extra school and studying before you can go into the world and get a real job. That means more years of the government paying for education which isn’t affordable at all and will only drive our country farther into debt, and all for an education that is worth just as much as a high school education used to be. It’s a spiral that will continue especially if the education is free.

Making college free is a truly terrible idea. If free college ever happens, prepare for a life of school for a little outcome.