Governments should offer a free university education to any student who has been admitted to a university but who cannot afford the tuition.Write a response in which you discuss your views on the policy and explain your reasoning for the position you take

One of the most important and complex phases of life that, in addition to enhance knowledge, shapes a human being, contributes for an all-round development and growth, associates him with the highly functioning world, is college. College education goes beyond books, moulding the person, both physically and mentally, shaping and focusing on his career. With more and more students embracing higher education, the state stands to benefit economically, prosper culturally and in terms of new leaders from today’s youth force. Nevertheless, do every student who enrols in higher education come from economically firm backgrounds? Given the rising cost of education and vast majority of the population belonging from middle class families, how is it possible that this basic question of relaxing the tuition fees has escaped the minds of policy makers? Thus, every Government should strive to make university education free for students who have been enrolled, but cannot pay the tuition fees.

To be educated is our right, and to educate is our duty. It is this fundamental law which now has been monetized and been turned into a money laundering scheme- an opportunity for tax collectors and investors to extort money from students and professionals alike. With this gradual trend, we oversee how important education today is to a country and to its people. It is the educated force, who creates all the difference, and not merely money- as without education and proper knowledge, development will lose its trail and money will become futile. Hence, a Government, as its fundamental duty towards its citizen, should encourage university education, without burdening the students, especially the needy ones, with the liability of tuition fees.

Exempting the students from tuition costs of university education will have advantages manifold. There will be an inevitable increase in the number of students opting for higher education- especially those with merits but not with enough funding. This will provide the State a continuous stream of well professional engineers, doctors, theorists, artists, thinkers, writers and revolutionists, among the many. With sound education, these people can positively contribute towards the society – in fields of advancement of technology, health research, increase in aesthetic values, literary works, towards deeper understanding of the past and future, and bringing in changes. Students, thus can be encouraged to pursue higher education for positively contributing towards research and development, or academics. Hence, a nation stands to benefit, in all aspects, raising the potential of people and itself in general, thus welcoming a “smarter economy”.

On the contrary, education comes at a great price. University education costs soar due to inclusion of newer labs, advanced technology, securing patents, getting new projects and research subjects. Without charging the students the tuition fees, the cost to state will rise to an unexpected value. Private universities, unlike having a support from Governments for most public universities, will not be able to remunerate the faculties. Quality of education will droop, and the overall benefits will observe a gradual plunge. Policy makers, before passing the bills of free university education, should therefore, examine the situation with greater care and deeper contemplation.

With an increase in number of students applying for redemption from tuition fees, a proper background examination deems to be obligatory for the universities. Consideration should be done strictly on the basis of merit and low family income groups. Tie – ups with university students to serve and contribute, maybe in terms of academics, research or money, to their alma mater after they have flourished and established themselves, will no doubt help to regain the cost to university per students. Meanwhile, grants and funds for research can be channelized from students placed in big industries and research groups.

Implementing the bills for free higher education for the low income background students, undoubtedly, will foster merit and greater encouragement towards pursuing masters, PhDs, or even post-doctoral researches, must however be done after careful scrutiny, as it involves an enormous amount of money, investment of energy, years of research, and an ultimate aim for the versatile development of the nation in the long run, which if achieved, will escalate the nation’s respect among peers. After-all, education is the sole instrument for evolution and progress.