Lange 1

Evan Lange
English Composition 2
Sarah Hughes
04/27/16
Mediation Essay
Theres a pretty big topic floating around that seems to have come into the sight
of many different people in recent years. That is the topic of tuition costs for colleges and
costs for higher education in general. This includes undergrad programs at community
colleges and universities as well as graduate programs at universities. There are many
people that seem to take a stance on either side of the argument which in turn fuels a fire
that may be burning for quite some time if the debate does not come to some sort of
consensus. Many different angles can be looked at to really give one the idea that this
argument might be one that never really finds any type of conclusion, yet it seems that it
may be possible in some sense. There are many groups and individuals that are both for
the decrease of tuition costs for higher education, with some people even suggesting
changing the cost to non-existent or making college free. There are also those that would
claim that this is an awful idea and it could potentially have negative repercussions if the
government were to take part in this activity. The goal might be for both sides, if they
decide that they wish to reach a consensus, to find a middle ground where there might be
a slight difference in costs while still maintaining economic stability that is favorable for
all parties involved.
Since the 1970s, tuition and fees at public institutions have increased by more
than 350 percent, while pay for working- and middle-class households has stagnated. As

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a result, the cost of a public-college education now accounts for almost 15 percent of the
average family's annual income; 40 years ago it was about 4 percent. This quote comes
directly from a journal called Chronicle of Higher Education. There is a point being made
here for a side that is in support of costs being lowered for higher education. They are
trying to demonstrate that there is a large gap between the statistics now and the statistics
from 40 years ago. They wish to appeal to the fact that the situation is increasing at an
accelerated rate. There is little acknowledgement from the side not in favor of these
tuition decreases when it comes to the gap from many years ago until now.
The focus for the other side is less on the differences in statistics from past to
present and more on what could take place in the years to come if policies were put into
place that might work to decrease higher education costs. Andrew P. Kelly writes in the
New York Times, A national push for tuition-free college would strain public budgets
even further, leading to shortages rather than increased access. And because middle and
upper-income students will gobble up many of the free public slots, rationing will hurt
those who need access the most. He seems to be pointing to a lack of available resources
for students if free tuition were to be put into place at universities and colleges. This
would be due to a lack of funding in other areas aside from the tuition costs. Then again
there seems to be a push for the awareness of inequality taking place from the other side.
They seem to have their mind set on the notion that public funding would be sustainable
and something that would definitely operate in an efficient manner under government
supervision.
This next quote written in an article by Kenneth Warren and Samir Sonti points to
a tactic used in the past involving veterans; they write, The original GI Bill opened the

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door to higher education for almost eight million veterans returning from World War II.
By 1952 the federal government had spent $7 billion ($63 billion in 2015 dollars) on
putting veterans through college, amounting to 1.3 percent of total federal expenditures
during that period. More than 40 percent of those GI Bill beneficiaries indicated that
without it they would not have attended college, and a 1988 Congressional subcommittee
report concluded that for every dollar spent the federal government achieved a return of
$6.90 in additional tax revenues thanks to the veterans' increased incomes and
productivity. This party, which is in full support of lowering tuition costs is referring to
this scenario in a attempt to demonstrate what would possibly take place if the
government were to enforce a similar policy, but that would cover all of the public versus
just the men and women serving in the military.
This last argument might help ease the tension between both parties in the sense
that what is being said is in a way a rebuttal to the argument that was first posited by
Andrew Kelly. Kenneth and Samir are both referring to a scenario in which additional
revenue was created along with opportunities for the job market. If what is being said is
true then there wouldnt need to be as much of a concern for lack of resources and
funding for the other side. In this way we might be able to soothe the debate over a little
by letting both parties know that each has something to offer the other. In this case, if
Kenneth and Samir could prove this to be effectively true, then Andrew Kelly would no
longer have to be concerned which would bring all parties closer to some sort of
resemblance of a conclusion.
In addition to the arguments currently taken place, there is also one idea that has
been proposed that acts as an almost stopper for the rest of the arguments taking place.

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Lauren Camera of US News writes, "Most families have no understanding of the true
cost of tuition and often make decisions to include or exclude schools based solely on the
artificial sticker price of tuition," she says. "It would be so much better for our families to
know from the outset what the tuition would be and know that it's affordable." Along
with the arguments that tuition should be lowered and that it should remain the same,
there is some confusion as to what the actual cost of tuition truly is. In order for both
sides to reach a consensus, it would be valuable to reach some clarity on the differences
in actual tuition versus the sticker price being advertised. For all parties to further
converse, that sort of clarification would need to be made.
Other concerns are put into the conversation by both sides that suggest many
different things, which would possibly strain the growing consensus starting to unfold
based on the previous arguments from all parties involved. It would be unwise to suggest
that any of these arguments do not hold validity. It is assumed that both parties have
factual information and respond to arguments in that sense so that more of a solution can
be provided that will benefit anyone that is involved in the process.
It is possible for a conclusion to be met by examining all arguments and providing
the best interaction between parties as possible. For now, that conclusion remains
undiscovered and it would have to be inherently unbiased in order for it to benefit all
individuals and groups. It would seem that after careful examination of the arguments
found, that there has been more of a consensus reached, though the issue seems to be that
this topic is so highly debated, that not proverbial bucket of water could put out the flame
that is the subject matter. If new information emerges in years to come, that might

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provide more of a base for conversation, but until then, it appears that this debate remains
open ended and inconclusive.

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Works Cited
Hill, Catharine. "Free Tuition is Not the Answer." New York Times, Late Edition (East
Coast) ed.Nov 30 2015. ProQuest. Web. 22 Apr. 2016 .
"Should College Be Free?" The New York Times. The New York Times, 19 Jan. 2016.
Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
Wyer, Joshua, and Monica Herk. "Should Community Colleges Be Tuition-Free?" WSJ.
N.p., 15 Sept. 2015. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
CAREY, KEVIN. "Sanders's Charming, Awful Plan To Save Colleges." Chronicle Of
Higher Education 61.41 (2015): A60.Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Apr. 2016.
WARREN, KENNETH W., and SAMIR SONTI. "Why College Should Be Free -- For
Rich And Poor Alike." Chronicle Of Higher Education 62.17 (2016): A26A27. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Apr. 2016.
Supplee, Janice L. "Enrollment Pathways To Financial Sustainability: Choosing The
Road Less Traveled." Christian Higher Education 13.4 (2014): 250-265. Academic
Search Complete. Web. 27 Apr. 2016.
Willie, Matt. "Taxing And Tuition: A Legislative Solution To Growing Endowments And
The Rising Costs Of A College Degree." Brigham Young University Law Review 2012.5
(2012): 1665-1704. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Apr. 2016
Camera, Lauren. "Colleges Slash Tuition to Eliminate Sticker Shock." US News.
U.S.News & World Report, 15 Sept. 2015. Web. 12 May 2016.