Fall is an important season for many going back to school, but even more important for those paying to go to school. As people apply to colleges and universities in America, or start another year, they find themselves scrambling to also apply for scholarships and financial aid. 

Students in college don’t only have to worry about the cost of tuition. Other expenses include food, housing, books, and more. Even with support, the struggle remains. Students find themselves having no choice but to take out loans in some cases to cover the cost of pursuing the future they want.

Believe it or not, college wasn’t always so expensive, nor did individuals have to pay. Colleges used to be free because benefactors and the government would pay tuition for students. 

A reason why colleges were so cheap, or no cost to individuals, then was due to the fact that people saw it as an investment into the future rather than a cost. With people striving to become doctors or to work in agriculture, college was an investment into a better future for America, and that was a cost the government and benefactors were willing to cover.

In the 1970s, when a sluggish economy put a squeeze on state funding for higher education, public support was reduced or not increased sufficiently to compensate for the growth in students and costs (like faculty and staff salaries, utilities, etc.) they moved first to a low tuition and eventually higher tuition policy.

Upon taking office as president in 1981, Ronald Reagan called for an end to free tuition for state college and university students. Back when he was governor of California, Reagan’s administration signaled a clear intention to reduce state spending. 

According to the California Learning Resource Network, “The initial 1968 budget proposal included a comprehensive 10% reduction across various state sectors.” This included reduced funding for school construction, removal of state funded teaching positions, and a significant reduction in mental health and special education programs.

Going back to his presidency, Reagan annually demanded 20% cuts across the board in higher education funding. This meant that institutions had to make up the shortfall that came with the cut, forcing them to rapidly raise tuition. 

People did not take this lightly. There were many who protested against Reagan’s policies. In an article written by Gary K. Clabaugh in The Educational Legacy of Ronald Reagan, he writes that Reagan calls these protestors, “‘brats,’ ‘freaks,’” and “‘cowardly fascists.’” Rather than attempting to restore order, Reagan said, “If it takes a bloodbath, let’s get it over with. No more appeasement!” 

Charles Dorn, a professor at Bowdoin College who studies the history of education in the United States said, “In the 1980s, you get these year-after-year, double-digit increases in tuition, by the time we’re into the 1990s, a college degree is becoming almost unattainable for people from less-privileged backgrounds.” 

There have been multiple debates as to why college can’t be free, or why college should be free. One argument as to why college should be free is that a tuition-free college would help decrease student debt. 

Students come out of college full of debt that they have to pay before they can even start their careers. Sometimes on social media people joke about student loan debt, or how expensive colleges are. As much as a joke it is, and as much as many laugh at them, it is a reality thousands of students in America live with.

One argument debating why colleges shouldn’t be free is that they won’t fully be free. Even if students won’t be paying tuition, they still have to pay for housing, books, supplies, and other expenses. 

Now, it would be difficult to make colleges free because the operational costs of colleges and universities are very high, and making colleges tuition-free would mean having to cover all of these costs by means other than tuition. Additionally, there are many people in America who go to college or want to go to college, when you add those two together, you’re left with a lot of money that needs to be covered, and the question of who will cover these expenses.