While free college seems attractive and simple, the reality of providing a completely free college-level education may cause future conflict and affect Americans of all different incomes today . In the article It's Time to Push for Free College published by NEA, Max Page and Dan Clawson state that many people cannot attend college due to extremely high tuition and want to avoid burdening their families with thousands of dollars of debt . Furthermore, they explain that, similar to grades K-12, college should be a necessity because earning a college degree is the gateway to a happy and stable life. In contrast, implementing free college for all citizens would eliminate the original value of earning a college degree, significantly increase American taxes across all different family incomes, and ultimately cause a decrease in student dedication and success. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay First of all, people enroll in college for many reasons, but the most important is to obtain a degree in a career field suited to the individual and to distinguish yourself from others in that field. One's education can only take them so far, and with so many people having the same, there won't be enough room for them to find work. The Gallup-Lumina Foundation conducted a survey that found that only 4 in 10 Americans agree that universities are actively changing to meet student needs. Furthermore, 13% of subjects believe that graduates are “well prepared to succeed in the world of work”. Based on these findings, the quality of higher education will most likely decline, and having a college degree will be more common and less exclusive to potential employers. Furthermore, creating a government system in which free college exists would cause a significant increase in American taxes. ; in fact, the estimated cost of this project is $47 billion per year (Wellman 2017). Furthermore, the American public simply cannot afford it, a key concept is entitlement. If a free college tuition program was implemented in tuition and an individual graduated from their “dream” school, they would get a job and, more importantly, pay tuition. Over the course of their lives, they will have to pay not only for the education the government has given them, but also for many other school fees. Covering the full cost of tuition at all universities and community colleges would mean that middle-income students and some upper-income students would receive sizable subsidies, even though many don't need the help. Meanwhile, lower-income students still would not have the luxury of affording non-tuition costs, such as books, supplies, transportation and rent for those living on campus. Finally, Page and Dawson argue that free college would provide an increase in college graduates; however, a study conducted in 2003 looked at full-time college students and revealed that 54 percent of the lowest income quartile did not earn a college degree within six years. James Rosenbaum, an education policy researcher at Northwestern University, interviewed 80 former 2-year college graduates, many of whom prioritized partying and put little effort into school. Participants consistently told Rosenbaum that paying for college made them grow and work harder. Paying tuition – a relatively small or large sum – seemed to help reveal a new identity as a student.