College Tuition Benefits

How much is pursuing higher education worth to Americans? The actual cost of a decent secondary education these days is astronomical and without higher education, finding a high paying job is becoming harder and harder. The problem is that college has become astronomically expensive. According to the College Board, the average cost of tuition and fees for 2015–2016 was $32,405 for private colleges, $9,410 for public colleges, and $23,893 for out-of-state residents attending public universities. Free college tuition has become a huge topic in the recent presidential elections. This idea would allow United States citizens struggling to pay college tuition an equal opportunity that has been reserved for only the wealthiest Americans. However, …show more content…
Lately fewer and fewer people that call themselves citizen of the United States know about the actual benefits and blessings of American culture and government. “Citizenship is more than residence; patriotism requires informed engagement by people who have earned the right to be considered citizens” (Kennedy and Impink par 4) military service benefits not only oneself but a nation of individuals that need a defense system. Unfortunately fewer Americans are serving in the military than ever before. With the opportunity of free college in exchange for two years of service we could begin to see that number begin to increase benefitting America on many levels. As military service is shown to escalate voting rates and other civic duties. With U.S. voter turnout in the 2012 presidential election being only 53.6%, compared to Belgium (87.2%), Turkey (84.3%) and Sweden (82.6%). We can see that we need to do something about national interest in our rights as citizens. However there are risks to consider when it comes to entering into military service. “In addition to this, there is PTSD, lack of personal freedom, and death.” (Anderson) Yes, there are risks of joining the military that is implied. The risk of war include serious mental health problems, serious injuries, and even death. The rewards include GI benefits, protection of your family, honor for your country, and honor from ones country. The pros outweigh the cons when you take into account the number of people that make it out of the military with any of the side effects. In fact hear is the chances of being harmed in the last five major us wars World War I: 1.1 percent (1 in 89) World War II: 1.8 percent (1 in 56) Korean War: 0.6 percent (1 in 171) Vietnam War: 0.5 percent (1 in 185) Persian Gulf War: 0.03 percent (1 in