Cheaper Tuition Daniel Szajnzinger February 17, 2019
Cheaper tuition is important to allow students more freedom to pursue a better education. The pursuit of higher education is becoming more difficult to afford as the years pass. Students who earn less than a regular income can hardly afford to live, Elizabeth Keith said, “in almost every single major city in Canada, the cost of living is higher than the annual income of someone earning minimum wage.” Even though the cost is increasing every year, post-secondary education is now almost a necessity to live while making rent each month. While improving the overall education level of society is important, the pursuit of knowledge to better oneself now costs in the tens of thousands over two to four years for most programs. This would make anyone wonder, should higher education be cheaper?
Cheaper or even free tuition would allow a child who lives under the poverty line, the possibility of changing their future for the better. In many European countries, tuition is completely free for undergraduates. Germany, Finland, and France are just a few, some such as Germany even offer it for international students. This cannot be all good of course, and the fact is that these countries all have higher tax rates than countries which do not have free tuition, such as Canada or the United States.
The issue of tax rates is one of the largest arguments against lowering tuition. As an example, the difference in tax rates of Canada (not including Quebec) and Germany are large. For Canada, the income tax rate is between 15% and 33% which does not have a high discrepancy between the richest and poorest. Germany, on the other hand, has a big difference between the lowest and highest, starting at 14% for low income and no tax for those under a certain amount which increases up to 45%. The tax rate on average is still high, this can be lessened by reducing tuition rather than doing away with it completely. The income tax rate for Germany is lower for the poorest end of the country but is much higher than Canada for higher tax brackets.
I believe that Canada and the United States could affordably have cheaper tuition, the best strategy would be to include higher tax brackets past what is currently in effect. Unfortunately, this will be difficult to move forward due to the politics surrounding the upper class. Some strides have been attempted to help low-income families to afford tuition, as with the Ontario Student Assistance Program. The Canadian Press from CBC wrote, “The previous Liberal government increased the number of grants and made it possible for low-income students to attend college or university free of cost,” but it is now being removed. However, given time and effort I believe that we can reduce tuition for all, but especially for those without the means of affording it.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/pc-government-tuition-fees-1.4981987
This was a really great read. I agree with you about it being a far ways away with steps to making education more accessible for all. But it is a necessary one. Education should not be a privilege, it is a right. One that everyone should be able to make use of if they do so choose. The rising living and tuition prices are making it near impossible for people to pursue post secondary education. I had no idea that Germany offers free tuition to international students as well! How interesting, and something I will definitely be looking into!
ReplyDeleteReally good article. This was engaging right from the first sentence until the last. You provided some interesting facts about Germany that I didn't know about, and some really good sources that were referenced. Good job.
ReplyDeleteWell written Daniel. Your argument is clear and concise, with valid points throughout your piece. Incorporating tax rates for countries with free education, in comparison to Canada's rates was very effective in creating a clear "image" within your discussion. Furthermore, by incorporating the point of lowering education costs would give a greater number of people the opportunity to attend university is something we can all agree and relate with.
ReplyDeleteGood Job!