Argumentative Essay: University Should Be Made Free

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Canada is believed to be the smartest country on Earth, with the highest percentage of citizens possessing a university degree in the world—51 percent. However, unless one has sufficient funds allowing them to pay all of the fees up front, graduates leave university with an unfathomable amount of debt. “The average student debt at graduation from a Bachelor’s degree program was $27,000 in 2009.” (Ivanova) This takes graduates an average of 15 years to pay off. Although this would be an enormous expense for our government, the positive outcomes that would result from making post-secondary education free would greatly exceed the cost. We should think of this as less of an expense, and more of an investment. Two reasons why Canada should implement …show more content…
Knowledge should not come with such a hefty price tag. Canada is one of the wealthiest countries in the world and graduates are leaving with the highest average debt totals of any country. A reason why one would disagree with this argument is that it would only increase our country’s debt, furthering us into the direction of a recession. One of the most prosperous countries in the world, Germany, has had this program implemented throughout nearly the entire country and are currently ranked fourth in the world in gross domestic product. Jessica McCormick, chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students said that “ ‘Canada 's federal government should look to Germany 's system as an example of one of the best ways to ensure access to postsecondary education and ensure students are getting the training and skills they need to participate in the labour market.’ “ (Freeman) The system works as the graduates that receive the education end up paying the full amount back through taxes over their working careers and end up paying for the next generation. This cycle will then create an effective solution to the issue that our country’s students face when finding the money to pay for all of these fees. Another reason to do this is that students will no longer be in debt, so they will have money to spend, which will in turn, stimulate our economy. Also, if all …show more content…
By investing in post-secondary education, we are investing in the future well-being of our country, both financially and in the income equivalency of the populace. Our country will thrive economically as a result of the economy being stimulated due to debt-free citizens being able to spend money, and the system is renewable as graduates will end up paying for the next generation through taxes during the duration of their careers. Having a more educated work force will result in a greater number of advancements and innovations throughout the country which will lead to a larger gross domestic product. This means that there would also be more money for the government to invest into other areas, such as healthcare and transportation, which would benefit everyone. The citizens will also benefit as there will now be an equal and fair opportunity for all to attend university. There will also be less of a divide between the poor and wealthy as even students brought up in poor households will have the chance to get an education that will lead to a higher paying job. And lastly, students will not be buried in debt after graduating. I believe that investing in making post-secondary education free will benefit all Canadians and will lead to a more prosperous and auspicious future

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