Free Tuition for Post-Secondary Education

Students in Canada are under increasing financial pressure. Tuitions are rising, and

student loan debts are overwhelming. If Canada were to offer free tuition, it could open new

doors for many Canadians.

Free tuition is a promising option because all Canadians deserve an opportunity to reach

their potential. Charging for education creates an unfair balance in our education system. The

wealthy can afford to buy a higher education, and average Canadians have limited opportunity

due to financial risk.

In 2017, Statistics Canada showed the average cost of an undergraduate degree was

$6,500, representing an increase in tuition costs for twenty-eight years in a row (Alini, 2018).

Statistics Canada also showed that an increasing amount of fees are reaching an average of $880

a year for undergraduates (Alini, 2018). Rising costs are putting more and more financial

pressure on students.

Although some post-secondary costs are subsidized by the government, more could be

done to create equal access to higher education. The government has decreased university

funding by nearly half since 1990. Since then, Canadian universities have almost tripled their

tuition costs (Alini, 2018). If students can’t afford more expensive universities, they might go to

less expensive community colleges, or take technical programs. These institutions charge half the

tuition of universities, and the government pays 62% of the cost (Alini, 2018). But these costs

are still high, and some students decide against higher education to avoid increasing their debt.

Over 20% of graduates who receive a bachelor’s degree finish school with more than $25,000 in

debt (Alini, 2018).

In 1990, Canadians earning a $5 per hour minimum wage needed to work 293 hours to

cover the average tuition cost. Students earning an average of a $13 per hour minimum wage

today, need to work 500 hours to pay their average tuition (Alini, 2018).

Similar to Canada, the U.S. has both a student debt crisis, and problems with college

affordability. President Barack Obama mentioned this in his final State of the Union address.

President Obama says "We've actually got to cut the cost of college. Providing two years of

community college at no cost for every responsible student is one of the best ways to do that, and

I'm going to keep fighting to get that started this year." (Dickler, 2016) In the past, President

Obama has also called to stop student loan interest rate increases, extend the tax credit for

tuition, create more work study jobs, and asked institutions to keep tuitions low (Dickler, 2016).

Taking similar action in Canada to make college affordable could offer equal opportunity for

education.

Charging students for their education can contribute to inequality. The wealthy have an

advantage if they can afford to purchase a better education, and average citizens are less likely to

advance their education if they can’t afford to. All students deserve an equal opportunity to

access higher education. If each Canadian citizen has a chance to reach their potential, then

Canada can have a chance to reach its potential.

Alini, E. (2018, September 1). A vicious cycle: Why tuition is so high and will keep going up.

Global News. Retrieved from https://globalnews.ca/news/4414387/canada-tuition-college-resp-2018/

Dickler, J. (2016, January 13). Obama: We have to make college affordable. CNBC. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2016/01/12/obama-we-have-to-make-college-affordable.html