First off I would like to say that I respect the view of the one who wrote this article as well as the many varying comments I've read supporting either side of the argument. This being said, I would also like to outline the issues I have with this article and comments in support of it beginning with the "college is a privilege" statement.
Yes. You are correct. It is a privilege.
It is also a privilege to be able to work throughout your entire high school career towards the goal of saving for college, not being hindered by needing to put food on the table for your family, or pay bills to keep yourself in a safe home environment, or have much else to focus on besides your work and your school. As hard working as you are, understand that there are those working far harder than you are and for arguably more important reasons.
I was also a working high school student. I played sports year round, graduated at the top of my class, and was admitted into multiple colleges.
I am privileged.
Come on, say it with me now: "We are privileged."
Just one more, in case you forgot: "Privilege exists."
That is an undeniable truth, and that is what I believe you should have said instead of "college is a privilege." Acknowledging this fact is something I challenge you to do as well because that will be the first step in understanding why more affordable accessible higher education is necessary.
Privilege is a scary thing because many of those who possess it don't even realize it. There's so many forms of privilege *cough* white privilege is real *cough* and it's important that as a country we understand that while going to college is second nature to many (meaning, it was always the plan, you never once questioned if you would be able to go or what else you would be doing after high school) others don't have that luxury.
You can't then push that group of people to enlist so that they are granted a GI Bill, and you can't simply ignore them and say if they would've worked harder then maybe they could have afforded the same education as you.
To begin with, not everyone can enlist. Besides that, you shouldn't have to risk your life just to get an education beyond high school. The men and women who serve our nation do so because they love it. They love their country and they have dreams of their own. Minimizing all they sacrifice, all they do, and what they stand for by saying "those who can't afford college on their own should enlist" is wrong. Sure, I'm sure some people go down that path, but it's no one's place to push that upon another person as their only option.
To suggest that those who desire to attend college but aren't because they "don't work hard enough" is a gross exaggeration and an ignorant ideal. No, not everyone deserves or has earned the right to go to college, but if the only thing standing in an individual's way - an individual who has put in the time to study and make good grades - is the cost of the education itself, how can you not see something wrong with that?
In a country so hell bent on being the 'super power' of the world, why wouldn't you want college to push people not only towards success and reaching their highest level of intelligence, but also keep them from potentially crippling financial instability?
I've worked every semester of college, I was an RA, I played a sport, I went to community college for two years, and I STILL will be coming out of school with debt. Granted, I've moved on to a four year institution that obviously costs more, but even with all of the scholarships I was lucky enough to receive, I will STILL be in debt, and for me, and many other college students, that debt is not going to be an easy thing to overcome.
Whether or not you view your debt as a burden is entirely up to you, but you DO NOT get to write off and ignore those who do view it as such. Regardless of what background, financially or otherwise, you come from if you're willing to work hard, you should be able to have the opportunity to attend college and not have to pay for it the rest of your life.
Realistically, it's made difficult from the very beginning. With SAT registration fees - an exam you have to take to get into almost any college in the US - beginning at $45, you're not exactly setting people up for success right away (and yes there are fee waivers, we know this, but some people are just outside of that range of receiving it and have to find ways to scrape that money up).
I'm not asking for college to be entirely free, I'm asking those who are privileged enough to attend college and not feel burdened by the cost to take a good hard look around and realize all they have and maybe, just maybe, try to do something to help someone less fortunate who's just as hard working as they are, reach their goals as well.
Most people who want to attend college that don't or can't are not asking you to hand them a free degree, but you can't expect them to be able to afford jumping through all of the financial hoops we have now. Making higher education more affordable for the masses is an investment in the United States' future that I would hope we all could stand proudly behind.
Attribution to references:
