Germany Offers FREE college tuition...Why Can't We?

I was watching a recent episode of The Middle (If you haven't watched the show, I'd recommend it!). Their daughter, Sue,a senior, was very excited about applying to college. Not an athlete, Sue didn't have any possibility of getting a scholarship to college. Of, course, the teenager had no concept of the cost of college in the United States. She set her goals on expensive private schools. Her parents didn't have the heart to tell her, not only didn't they have the money for a private ivy-league college of her dreams, but that even a state-school, would be difficult to afford with their incomes. A usually humorous sit-com, the show had an impact on the seriousness of college for many families in this country.

Then, today, the news stated that the country of Germany would be offering FREE tuition for all students to attend college!  When I was in Norway and Denmark this summer, I learned that college is free for young people in their countries, too. In fact, much of the European countries offer free tuition to college to their young people.

That makes me wonder. WHY can't the United States offer the same?  Why should college be more and more for wealthy families in our country?  OR why, should college leave so many of our young people with huge college loans? My thinking is that any student that succeeds in maintaining a C average, should be offered free tuition to at least a two year  state college. Students with Bs and higher, could be offered free tuition at a four-year state college. This might also help kids do BETTER in middle/high school as I would think the incentive would also insure that some parents better monitor their kid's school performance to help make the end goal, free college tuition, a reality in their family.  We give millions and millions in moneys to other countries.Perhaps, we should look first at our our country and the future generations of this land and see education should not be just for those that can afford it, but is something that would benefit all of us living in the United States.

I am getting off my soap-box.

Gail

http://www.gailhennessey.com- check out my website for teachers/kids

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