Shaun McConoughey

Free Public University as a Human Right

According to the Federal Reserve Economic Data there is upward of 1.3 trillion dollars in
outstanding student debt. To put that in context, it is enough money to buy Bank of America,
Wells Fargo, JP Morgan, and Citigroup and still have 660 trillion dollars left over. This enormous
amount of debt prevents bright kids from going to school, and also puts an enormous burden on
their shoulders upon graduation. Millennials credit scores are being directly impacted due to this
alarming amount of debt. This in turn is leading to them consuming much less per dollar they
earn. They also are choosing to rent as opposed to buying when it comes to houses and cars.
According to a study by Goldman Sachs 30% of millennials consider buying a house important
but not a priority. Oppositions to free public universities claim that it would send federal debt
skyrocketing, and this would put a greater burden on economic growth. They also claim that free
public universities will turn an undergraduate diploma into the equivalence of a high school
diploma because they will be easy to get. However, it is a necessity to take the growing debt
burden off students. It will provide a more competitive and equal chance at going to school. It
will also spur economic growth by allowing graduates to spend the money their earnings as
opposed to using it to pay off debt.
Oppositions to free public universities claim that the federal debt would skyrocket out of
control. They believe that this would lead to a repeat of the great recession. They also claim that
undergraduate degrees will have the same value as high school diplomas. This issue has
ramped up in recent years due to the amount of outstanding student debt more than doubling
since the financial crisis. Many fiscally conservative politicians are terrified with anything to with
spending. They would rather the entire economy collapse than provide fiscal stimulus. With that
being said, clearly there are people in government whose personal beliefs dont align with free
public university. They prioritize military bases in Germany over educating young people. This

Shaun McConoughey
would be a worthwhile investment if the United States were in World War II fending off the
Nazis. However, that ended 70 years ago. There is also a way that free public universities could
pose a problem. If the public debt were the big issue that caused major crisis to happen, than it
could be a risky investment.
The United States government needs to figure out what is really important to the people
they serve. They need to prioritize things that truly matter, and that can drive economic
prosperity for all. By providing free public universities, the growing debt burden would be lifted
off college graduates allowing them to spend and consume ultimately contributing to economic
output. Free public universities would also give underprivileged students a better chance at
going to college. It wouldnt matter how much money people had. There would be more
applicant driving higher levels of competition actually making an undergraduate degree worth
more. The reason this can work is because the United States currently spends 600 billion
dollars on its military. A quarter of that would cover every student currently enrolled in a four
year public university. However, even if cutting military spending wasnt an option adding 150
billion dollars to the annual deficit would not hurt the United States. The media and conservative
politicians brand federal debt as the worst thing ever. The truth is that as long as GDP grows
and federal debt stays around 100% of GDP it is not a problem. The government never dies, so
it can always borrow money to pay off its debts. The problem is when private debt, such as
student loans, gets so out of control that GDP fails to grow. Due to our economy being 70%
consumption driven, if such a large group of the population only spends its earnings paying off
debt consumption doesnt grow. If the government strips college graduates of their debt burden
their spending will skyrocket driving growth.
Elected officials must act on their ideals not their party ideals. Conservative congress
members vote down anything that has to do with spending, and progressive congress members
vote down anything that has to do with a tax cut. They do this because they act on behalf of

Shaun McConoughey
party beliefs not on common sense. Sometimes a tax cut may make sense, and sometimes
fiscal spending may make sense. There has to be a give and take in order to provide free public
university to all students. Officials need to all realize what is truly important, and that is what the
United States has here at home. A solution could be to test out the effect of erasing student loan
debt on recent graduates. Governments have to work together in order for change to take place.
It will take 150 billion dollars, but it is truly important to provide this equal chance for all level
income families and kids the United States.
Providing the possibility for all kids to dream and aspire to go to college will drive
ambition and competition. This competition will lead to the most academically challenging
environment where hard work will thrive not money. The ability to pay for college wont be the
reason kids go to college. An individuals socio economic status will mean nothing if they cant
work hard and get into college. There are tons of hard working kids whose families cant give
them the opportunity that their ungrateful peers get across town. It will scare urban families who
fear their kids wont get into college, but it will help solve the income inequality gap in the end. Is
it fair that the richer someone parents are the more likely they are to attend college? The
American dream would be alive and well again. It would also drive economic growth by leading
us into a period of increased consumption.
Grover, Sonja. "Secondary Education as a Universal Human Right." ERIC. U.S. Department of
Education, 2004. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.
UNESCO. A Human Rights-based Approach to Education for All: A Framework for the
Realization of Children's Right to Education and Rights within Education. New York, NY:
UNICEF, 2007. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.
Vandenberg, Donald. Education as a Human Right: A Theory of Curriculum and Pedagogy. New
York: Teachers College Press, 1990. Print.

Shaun McConoughey