5/11/2012
porterville

salinna
monache/smith
i believer that the goverment cant do anything. Though they do have alot of debt on there hand. They do have the oppurtunity to pass certain laws but know one gonna listen to obama. Since the economy is down they wouldnt wanna take a chance. Thus i belive they make there money through colleges.

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5/11/2012
Porterville, CA

Andres
Mr.Smith/Monache
The government can do a lot to help lower the cost for college. Their should be more aid towards students as well as the colleges. I do think that Obama’s plan is a good one since it will help the student pay out their loan.

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5/10/2012
Porterville CA

Anthony
Smith/Monache
I think that the government can help in making college less money. Yes I do think Obama plan will help more students go to school but college is just too much money more people will have to take loans out every or more than once a year. I believe that there should be more money going to higher education.

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5/2/2012
misson SD

jasmine
swanson todd county
i think colleges should cost less no one should have to pay 1000 doller's just to learn

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4/30/2012
Tx

Shelsy M.
Metzger
I think that government should make college cost less because its really hard for students to afford it, Most of them go to community college because of high cost of colleges. It's reasonable for the government to invest in the present of the students because those are who will govern the future. The government needs to increase the financial add for students.

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3/23/2012
Henderson, NY

Brandon Cook
Miss.Colby, Belleville Henderson Central School
I believe that the government can help make the cost of college less for the people of our country. By the people in power limiting their spending on unecessary things such as bailing out corperations or spending the money on houses we would be better off. They could use that money for more pertinent situations such as helping schools or most of all lower college tuition.

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3/20/2012
Arizona

Marissa
NAU
My school is constantly building something new, spending millions of dollars on construction on some things the majority of students see as necessary, and where do you think they get the money? From the students. I think more financial aid would be a great idea, but where is that money going to come from? I paid my financial aid, and would have nothing left over except they put me on a payment plan, which charges $400 a month just because my financial aid came in late. This isn't doing anything to help the students, this is just breaking the backs of the students who really struggle and whose parents really struggle to give us an education.

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1/2/2012
Montgomery, TX.

Ashley
Metzger/Montgomery
Yes, for the middle and high class of society due to financial aid requirements. It may even benefit the lower class who receives financial aid. For example, the middle and higher class of the world who make just enough or too much have to pay out of pocket for college tuition or depend on scholarships. They are the people who pay for the lower class and that can consist of the unfortunate or people who don't care to put effort into the socioeconomic world.

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12/16/2011
NE

Kyle
Gentile/Lutheran High
I think that the government can help make college cost less to certain extents. They could offer Scholarships, more than what they do possibly. They could even lower the cost of the overall tution to the colleges. Granted this would take away some of the money the professors and the college itself away at first, but they could end up getting more students because of lower costs to justify the means.

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12/3/2011
Montgomery/TX

Tiffany T
Metzger/Montgomery High School
College is an option for all students. Some decide to go, but many decide not to. I think any person who wants to go to college, should have the ability to do so, not based on their income. The government may not be able to afford to make a huge impact about helping students pay for tuition and loans, because of all the debt they have, but it definately would benefit a lot of people. For instance, the kids going to college now are the ones who actually tried in high school and plan on making a future for themselves. And cost is a big factor on whether some get to go or not. With more students getting into college and making good grades, it can benefit the future with more employees that are smart and know what they're doing. So if the government could help reduce college costs, many more people could go much further in education and life after college.

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12/1/2011
Montana

Taylor
Mrs. Campbell/North Star
College is the beginning to the rest of your life. It is filled with socializing, learning, and succeeding; however, now that times have economically altered, college is now filled with debts and lots of them. College students are already scarce on money, but it doesn’t help that they have funds and debts to pay on the journey. The tuition at Carroll College is approximately 30,000. A student does not have that kind of money just sitting in their back pocket. As the tuition inflates, it seems that the governmental support is deflating. States are giving fewer funds to public universities and even private colleges, who don’t receive State funding, are increasing their tuition. Many students end up paying off their college debts years after they graduate; however, these debts are getting harder to pay off once out of college due to the fact that employment is scarce. A job at McDonalds is not going to pay off a four year tuition from the prestige college that person attended. Although scholarships, financial aid and income based loans help. They only help a select few. If your parents make a reasonable amount of money you may not be eligible for many of those things. Students are our countries future. So why shouldn’t the government help them out a little bit more?

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11/30/2011
Norfolk/NE

Natalie Gubbels
Mrs. Gentile
I think that the government should step in and help aid colelges so that it is eastier for kids to get a higher education, and in the long run it will help our economy.

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11/30/2011
norfolk/ne

Jacob
gentile/lutheran
I dont think that the government should overly give loans and scholorships, in reality they would just raise taxes, and you would eventually pay for the schooling anyway, along with forcing other people to pay for your college. if they do offer college assistance, however, they should not give it on the basis of funding, or lack there of, and strict academic requirements should be put on the assistance, along with allowing the government to choose a field for you, so that it would almost be guarunteed to get you a job when you graduate.

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11/30/2011
Madison/NE

Brent
Gentile/LHNE
I don't think that much can be done about the rising cost of tuition. The government's money is already tied up elsewhere. If we want taxes to stay the same then the governmet won't have any extra money lying around. We could always cut the salary of government workers, but since they're in charge of how much they make, I really don't think that's going to happen.

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11/30/2011
Norfolk NE

Josh
Gentile
The government should not give more money to colleges. The grants they already give are fine but they cannot afford to give more money and there is no reason they should. The cost for paying for your schooling beyond public hishschool is your own. There is no reason for the government to pay for your college education. If you cannot afford to pay for college there are many scholarships available to students for a large variety of reasons. If you cannot get as good of scholarships because you do not have good grades it is your own fualt for not workig hard in school. Not everyone needs to go to college.

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11/30/2011
norfolk ne

hannah meyer
mrs.gentile
it would be nice if the government would help to make college cost less but the government doesn't manage their money all that well so they probably won't.

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11/30/2011
Norfolk, NE

Faith
Mrs. Gentile
Government should make college costs less because if it costs less more people will be willing to receive a higher education. A higher education leads to more successful americans with higher paying jobs. Then the government would not have to give out so much money to help people out who dont make enough money.

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11/30/2011
Norfolk, Nebraska

Kendra D
Mrs. Gentile/Lutheran High Northeast
I think that government should help to make costs lower for college students because college is vital if you want to pursue a serious career. I think we also have to be careful with how much money the government gives out because the US already has alot of debt.

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11/30/2011
Norfolk/Nebraska

Zach
Mrs. Gentile/LHNE
In my opinion, the government should help fund the colleges. The only reason i say this is because I would love to go to college for less. But on the other end, i know that the government is already in deep trouble with its debt. I know that eventually i will be able to pay off my debt once im in the work force. If the government were to fund the colleges, i wouldnt spend as much money in my later years.

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11/30/2011
Norfolk/NE

Daniel
Gentile/LHNE
As our government has a very large debt already, I really don't think that the government should be using more money to try and cut the price of college down. The fact of the matter is that colleges are businesses just like any other. They want all the best technology possible to get the largest amount of students possible and stay ahead of the competition. They can't pay for all of that, so they charge the students more. Becasue of this, the price of tuition is going to rise faster than the rate of inflation, that's not really the governments fault. The government can't afford to take care of it even if they wanted to anyway.

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11/30/2011
Norfolk, NE

Jordan
Mrs. Gentile
I think that the government should help lower the cost of college. I also think that the less fortunate kids who can't afford college should receice more financial aid. We don't want to be paying off college for the rest of our lives after we graduate.

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11/30/2011
Norfolk/NE

Hayley
Mrs.Gentile/Lutheran High Northeast
The Government needs to help reduce the costs for college, but I don't think that they should base it on income. College students deserve aid otherwise after college they will be majorly in debt and that I don't agree with Vedder on cutting government funding, which would make things worse.

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11/30/2011
Norfolk, NE

Jordan
Mrs. Gentile
I think that the government should help lower the cost of college. I also think that the less fortunate kids who can't afford college should receice more financial aid. We don't want to be paying off college for the rest of our lives after we graduate.

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11/30/2011
Norfolk/NE

Daniel
Gentile/LHNE
As our government has a very large debt already, I really don't think that the government should be using more money to try and cut the price of college down. The fact of the matter is that colleges are businesses just like any other. They want all the best technology possible to get the largest amount of students possible and stay ahead of the competition. They can't pay for all of that, so they charge the students more. Becasue of this, the price of tuition is going to rise faster than the rate of inflation, that's not really the governments fault. The government can't afford to take care of it even if they wanted to anyway.

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11/30/2011
Norfolk,NE

Austin
Mrs. Gentile
I think that government can help reduce college cost if they can manage their money better but our country is in so much debt that right now we are trying to pay that off and their just isnt enough money right now to help reduce college costs. I would like their to be more aid but i dont think that is going to happen and we have college loans but we have to pay them back so that wont really help in the long run.

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11/30/2011
Norfolk, Ne

Zach
GENTILE
I think if the governement could lower the cost of college they would. They don't have the money to do this though. There have always been college loans and there will always be college loans.

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11/30/2011
Norfolk

Katrina
Gentile/LHNE
The government should provide money to aid colleges because tuition would lower. If tuition lowers more kids can go to college and get a higher education which will help benefit for the future. I also think that it would be helpful if the government helped with student loan aids because students can start their life earlier without having to worry about paying loans back first.

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11/29/2011
Norfolk/NE

Nicholas
Gentile/LHNE
I think that if the government could manage its money better it might be able to help reduce college costs but as of now, our government is deep in debt so I don't think that it could afford to go any deeper. Increasing the funding of every public college would require massive amounts of money that would just bury the government even further. Another way to look at the situation might be that since we're already in such deep debt, it wouldn't matter if we spent a couple more billion dollars. I think the same issue applies to the concerns for student loan aid. I think Obama's plan could work but how much of your monthly income would have to go towards the student loan bill? I think Vedder's plan is not very well thought out. If you decrease the amount of funding, the schools would get smaller which means that there would be program cuts in the college meaning a decrease in opportunities for the students going there. A decrease of opportunities means less specialized fields of study which would, in turn, hurt the economy and the progression of the United States. Education is one of the most important things in our society so why would anyone want to hinder education's ability to advance the current generation of students?

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11/29/2011
Norfolk/NE

jordan
Gentile/LHNE
I think that the government should give more money to aid colleges because if it will lower the cost of tuition, more people with limited means will be able to go to college and have a better education which will ultimately lead to a better future. Student loan aid would also be helpful so that college kids aren't in extreme debt when they graduate.

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11/29/2011
Norfolk

Shelby
Mrs. Gentile
The Government should provide aid to college students but it should not just be granted based on the parents salary. Adults who spent the time and money to get a quality education should not be over looked! I believe that each and every student should be able to receive some sort of government aid to encourage them to get a high level of education to help our economy.

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11/29/2011
Enola

Annemarie
Mrs. Gentile
They shouldn't base it on income. I think that the government could find someway to help reduce college costs but if they make a law that tuition needs to be decreased then they aren't going to be able to pay their teachers as much which means they probably aren't going to get as good of teachers. I don't know i guess

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11/29/2011
Norfolk, NE

Kelsey D
Mrs. Gentile/Lutheran High Northeast
I think that it is a good idea for the government to help students pay for their loans and schooling, as long as it doesnt bring taxes up to help for it all.

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11/29/2011
Norfolk / Nebraska

Shelby Stolze
Gentile
The government could consider adding more to funds that assist grants and aid. College provides more security in the U.S. as far as skilled laborers in our workforce. Providing students schooling after high school is indubitably a smart idea, so why not have more affordable choices? Notice that the community colleges aren't overflowing? If the people were honestly so concerned, that's where they'd be. College is expensive, but there are options.

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11/29/2011
Norfolk/NE

Liz
Mrs. Gentile
Sure the government could help with the costs but where are they going to get that money? The more money they give the more into debt they go. It's great that they offer scholarships to those who needs help paying for their education but it will never be enough. Inflation happens, it happens in everything. The only thing that will help the tution is the economy.

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11/29/2011
Norfolk/NE

Rachel
Lutheran High Northeast
I think that the government can reduce the cost of college. Obama's student loan payment plan is good because it is based on how much income you make a month, so if you dont make much you can still affored to go to college. Vedder's plan doesn't sound good because people are going to want to go to college so they can get a job that supports them.

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11/29/2011
Norfolk, NE

Andrea
Mrs. Gentile/LHNE
I think the government should reduce college costs and also offer more financial aid for those who have trouble affording it. It is not fair for a poor person to be denied the rights to a college education when they have worked just as hard as their wealthy classmates. They also should cut government funding so that the colleges spend less and charge less.

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11/29/2011
Norfolk/ Nebraska

Rosco
Mrs. Gentile
I think that the government should lower the cost for more people so that way when they get out in to the real world they wont have all these bills or even worse have major debt on their hands.

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11/29/2011
Norfolk/Nebraska

Tyler
Ms Gentele
We are putting way too high of an emphasis on college degrees while most people can't even find a job after a great amount of debt put on them just from college. College is becoming more of a business then educational purposes. The reason to go to college is to have a greater quality of life and job but they are coming out from it with debt and the degree they got paying for nothing. As such as the college being a business I think its fair for the government to regulate the tuition and rates to be fair because as of right now on average most people will pay close to 100k for tuition and fees not including personal. I don't think aid will help but an actual restriction because as of right now colleges are a huge monopoly controlling the costs on attaining a higher eductation without government regulation.

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11/29/2011
Norfolk/NE

Beth
Mrs. Gentile/Lutheran High Northeast
I think that the government should help lower college costs, especially because college graduates are having such a hard time finding jobs, but I don't think our government is in a position where it CAN lower college costs. They've got their own debt problems to fix first.

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11/29/2011
norfolk ne

Taylor P
LHNE/Gentile
If the government can make college cheaper for students I don't see why they wouldn't. I think making the payments income based isn't a good idea because people already get scholarships for that.

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11/27/2011
Montgomery /TX

Marcela
Montgomery High
The government should reduce college costs so that more people have the opportunity for a better future. Obama's plan can help college graduates who have trouble finding a job make the loan payments more manageable. Vedder's plan doesn't really make sense. It sounds like he wants fewer students to attend college. How would this help?

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11/15/2011
Irving/Texas

Aubrey McKinzie
Bradley/Nimitz
Yes, the government can help reduce college costs. There should be more government aid for schools. The Student loan aid is the only way of paying for college in some cases. I am in favor of Obama's plan. Basing monthly payments on monthly income makes perfect sense. I don't think Vedder's plan is a good plan at all. The demand for college will never go down. Too many people rely on going to college to get a job that will support them.

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11/7/2011
Denver Colorado

shawn culton
weber/jfk
i think the government can make it cheaper by giving more scholarships and grants ecspecially to students who need it mor e

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11/6/2011
Irving/Tx

Jennifer J.
Bradley/Nimitz
What I don't understand is why did the government start paying less to higher education to begin with? To have a successful country, having educated inhabitants is probably a good place to start. So encouraging higher lever education is a good thing. I mean, I'm all for Obama's income-based student loan payments, but I'd rather just a lower price over all. I'm sure there are things that the government is spending money on that would better be served as college money. I know of plenty of students who have already decided to not go to college because they see it as out of their price range -- that they won't be able to pay for it or pay it off. I say that the best solution is simply lowering the cost of college by having the government pay for more of the portion.

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11/4/2011
Irving, TX

Diana C.
Bradley/Nimitz
College costs is one of the main reasons why students do not go to college. College is much more difficult to afford nowadays. This is MY main concern, how am I supposed to pay all this money for college? Government can help us reduce the amount of the money colleges charge. Obama's plan might work because people are going to be able to pay their loans and still have money left for other expenses. I mean what's the point of getting a good education if you are still going to be in debt with student loans for the rest of your life. The government should not give a lot of money to schools because it seems that they spend more money when they have more money. This time shouldn't be the right time to build new schools or fix them. Schools are okay as they are now and all that money should go to colleges. Although I agree with the fact that there should be more government aid for college and not just lower level education. This is where they need the most financial support since it gets ready many students to help the nation one way or another. This way more people can get a higher education for less cost and it will pay off the society in the long run.

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11/3/2011
Irving/Tx

Azaria
Bradley/Nimitz
Everyday, I am told by my teachers, my parents, my aunts and uncles, and my cousin's who have gone to or already graduated from college that I should go to college, no matter what. To go to college and get a college degree means that I get a better life, I life where I do not have to save every cent just to pay the monthly rent for a dirty, run down old apartment and still be able to afford the cost of food. If I go to college, I won't be working at a McDonald's or Burger King my entire life, trying to earn a living for myself and any children I may have. The more people who go to college and get a higher level of education, the better off the country is. And yet, the price for college is so great, that those who are smart enough to get into a college, graduate from the college, and make a difference for our country are unable to afford it. And so our country continues to fall, the economy is bad and could get worse. If we want our country, the United States of America, to be better off, the citizens of the country need to get a better education. Not just the few that can actually afford it, but everyone. Why encourage students in middle and high schools to go to college, if you aren't even going to help them achieve it?

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11/2/2011
Irving/TX

Jesse G.
Bradley/Nimitz
The government should be able to help more people be able to pay for college. They had to have some part of the reason why tuition rates are shooting through the roof. I am completely in favor of president's Obama's plans, because many people have been so greatly hindered by their overwhelming debt after their stay in college, that a change in the system was greatly needed. Yes, we know that there is FASA other wise known as financial aid out there, but the government needs to do something to reduce the actual cost of the university. This way more students could get financial aid, because others wouldn't need as much cause they wouldn't have to pay as much.

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11/1/2011
Irving, TX

Sara
Bradley/Nimitz
Government can help reduce the price of college. They can give states more money which would help some of the colleges so they wouldn't have to raise their tuition every year. Government aid is helping a lot of students to be able to even qualify for some colleges, but I think that needs to be more pronounced. Some people don't even know how to get that or the criteria needed. They need to start announcing it more. I do think Obama's plan is the right thing to do. Or else some of the students pay checks might not be enough or it all might go to paying loans and not having any to get them by. So I do think that idea is a good way to start off students who do have to give back what they received. I do not however agree Richard's solution. I think if we do that then a lot of students attending a college would all be in debt. So the government would have to give out money any ways.

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11/1/2011
Irving/Texas

Shelby
Bradley/Nimitz
The government is the government, they control everything, and if they are so worried and concerned about education then they should help with costs. They should help with the student loans, because if you take out so many loans you have to remember that you have to pay every bit of it back. I do favor Obama's plan to base the amount you pay back on the loan has to do with your income. I disagree with Richard Vedder's plan because helping out higher education helps out the students wanting to go to college.

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11/1/2011
Irving/Texas

Shelby
Bradley/Nimitz
The government is the government, they control everything, and if they are so worried and concerned about education then they should help with costs. They should help with the student loans, because if you take out so many loans you have to remember that you have to pay every bit of it back. I do favor Obama's plan to base the amount you pay back on the loan has to do with your income. I disagree with Richard Vedder's plan because helping out higher education helps out the students wanting to go to college.

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10/31/2011
Irving/TX

Sherin
Bradley/Nimitz
The government can help in reducing the tuition of the college – public and private. Now a days, people get a job only if they have a college degree. To get a college degree, you have to get an education in a college, and more than half of the American students do not have the financial support to study. Colleges should not raise the tuition fees every year, because it makes it harder for the students to pay them. Even if the students get a loan, they have to pay back the loan after they have finished their studies. In this present time, it is very difficult to find a job, and the person who has to pay back a large lump of money may not find a suitable job that can help them repay the loan and support their needs simultaneously. I agree with Obama's decision on paying back the loan according to the income a person receive every month. Students need scholarships and grants to help pay for college. According to Richard Vedder, if the government reduces financial aids and grants to the students, then only the rich who can afford the tuition can complete their education. I strongly disagree with Richard Vedder. The African Americans and the Hispanics have to do less get the admitted into the colleges, while the White Americans and the Asians have to do more to get admitted to the university. The government can change the rules about the amount of tuition the students have to pay according to a person's affordability.

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10/31/2011
Irving/TX

Jerin
Bradley/Nimitz
There should be more governmental aid for colleges and universities. States alone cannot give money to colleges. And it is not the responsibility of students to make sure the colleges get their money by paying higher tuition. That just makes students reluctant to go to college. Governmental aid is absolutely essential. No matter what programs the government supports or whatever it does, nothing is more important than the education of future generations. So, the government should help in every possible way.

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10/30/2011
Irving, TX

Ashley Bo
Bradley/Nimitz
It is important to aid for schools. Education is very important to everyone's lives. How can people have education without affording it? That is a problem and the government should make it important to aid for schools since college tuition now a days is very expensive.

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10/30/2011
Irving, Tx

Jose R.
Bradley/Nimitz
The government can help reduce college costs just like it helped raised them in the first place. The government is given some fault for the dramatic increase in college tuition and overall costs. There are many new ideas being brought up about how to deal with this problem but what shouldn't be changed is the help students get. Government aid and loans are basically what is keeping the majority of college students in college. If it were to be stopped or decreased then that would drastically change college education. More government aid would be very helpful but anything lower than what some students get today wouldn't be fair. I favor Obama's plan for student aid because it actually allows some students to get aid based on what they earn. I strongly disagree with Richard Vedder's plan, his plan completely contradicts what government aid should do. Decreasing the amount of aid given to students will just keep students from going to college. In today's economy, finding jobs is a challenge and many of those people searching have a college education so just imagine how it might be for the people who don't get an education because they couldn't receive financial aid.

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10/30/2011
Irving/TX

Michael P.
Bradley/Nimitz
College has been placed on a high school students shoulders and pressed down on to them to the point where they feel that that is the only way to be successful in life. But the truth is that most people who enter college have no idea what they want to do as a career. So students put themselves in a horrible position where they don't know what they want to do and they are putting themselves in debt at the same time. I believe the cost of college has become a cultural issue. In other cultures its not uncommon for a son or daughter to live with their parents until they figure out what they want to do with their life. But in the U.S we have a custom of leaving your parents house as soon as your 18. Now I have no idea what is right and what is wrong but I do know that this is exactly the reason why college cost so much now along with other factors. There are so many students going to four year universities straight out of high school that the competition is enormous so the colleges are raising standards of acceptance and the cost of college based on the lack of gov. funding. But to be honest it would be foolish for the government to distribute money to all the colleges in the U.S on the grounds that our country would be more in debt than we are now. This would also let the government have more and more control over citizens lives. So in conclusion I believe the only answer to the college debt problem is that we have to change culturally before any cost in college changes. We as a society need to stop acting like infants putting ourselves in bad situations for seemingly no reason. Half of the students that graduate cant find jobs anyway and on top of that, when they do get a job they get one that has absolutely nothing to do with their degree. That is the only safe solution in my opinion.

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10/28/2011
Irving, TX

Cytnhia G
Bradley/Nimitz
The government does have the ability to help reduce college cost. Everything about life is based on someone's education, but how are student supposed to get the proper education if they can not afford it. Many these days are applying for government aid and student loans, because the fees for colleges are just sky high. I disagree strongly with Richard Vedder's plan, because if they reduce the government funding, then the majority of the students will not be able to afford schooling and will end up not going. Now a days, some people who have college education still have trouble finding jobs, so more and more students are doing what they can to get into schools. If there is no money being loaned to students, then the number of people attending college will decrease dramatically.

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10/28/2011
watertown ma

Randy
mr. rimas
yes with school cost lowered it is possible for all students no matter what family background or issues your family face possible to attend college/ I understand that the cost of college is suppose to be up but each year when cost are high that makes attendance in college lower.

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10/28/2011
Watertown MA

Justin
Mr Rimas/Watertown high school
Yes the government can help make colleges cost less. I think if the government made colleges cost less we would have a lot more educated people in the world and more people would actually want to go to college if they could afford it.

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10/28/2011
Watertown/MA

Jesse
Mr.rimas/ Watertown high school
Yes, Government have the power to do so but they wont do it because of the amendments. I think they should make it cost less but its their choice so we cant do anything about it. people go into dept from paying for college they should make it less expensive

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10/27/2011
Irving/TX

Angelica R
Bradley/Nimiz
I think that there should be more aid for schools because I know that I am about to graduate and I have no idea how to pay for college. The government should take a step in and help the people who can't afford college. I agree with Obama's student loan payment, I think it is reasonable.

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10/26/2011
watertown massachussets

Ayaz
Mr.Rimas
I think that government should make college cost less because its really hard for students to afford it, Most of them go to community college because of high cost of colleges. Because a rich guy can offord it but for some middle class and poor families its really hard. Otherwise the government need to increase the financial add for students.

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10/26/2011
watertown/MA

lenny
rimas/watertownhighschool
Definitely, the government definitely has the power to make college cost less but the thing is that they wont do it because the amendments protect a buisness owner. College is a buisness and they have the right to make college cost as much as they want. ITS RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!! most people that can go to college dont go to college because they dont have the money to pay for college. IF college costed less we would have a lesser percentage of homeless and uneducated people in the united states.

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10/26/2011
Irving/TX

Fatema J
Bradley/Nimitz
Yes, the government would definitely help make college cost less. It is likely to say that the main obstacle towards college is finance. Most of the students are unable to afford the the costly tuition and fees of the college and therefore tend to subside the idea of college. Apparently, the FAFSA is not enough for most of the students, especially for the international students.Hence, the government ought to step in and provide help. Attaining college degree is the main step for most of the students to accomplish their future goal.

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10/26/2011
Irving, TX

Joel S
Bradley/Nimitz
All students would love to have the government support them in their academic pursuits, and many complain the the government doesn’t help enough. But that’s why we have FAFSA, right? Well the FAFSA program is great for providing aid to underprivileged students, but many aid programs are based off of a cutoff line (a little over $60,000 gross family income). That means that everyone under that cutoff receives financial aid, and most above that line don’t. So for someone who makes as much as my family (just a little above that cutoff), college is a struggle to pay for, while financial aid with higher cutoffs is almost impossible to find. I think that what government-funded aid programs could go is give graduated aid amounts, where the amount of financial aid given is inversely proportional to family income, where anyone with incomes up to even $120,000 or so can receive some form of aid. What also needs to happen is more merit-based scholarships. Students who excel in academics deserve to go to college, and financial burdens should not be hindering them. There are plenty of aid programs for minorities like African Americans and Hispanics, but there are none for others, such as Asians. Aid programs based on ethnicity should cater to people of all races, instead of promoting more racial segregation.

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10/25/2011
Irving/Texas

Joan
Bradley/Nimitz
Being a deaf student in the state of Texas, I can get in any public colleges in Texas for free through tuition waiver. Thinking about it, I think it would be beneficial for a lot of people if they were to get some kind of college tuition reduction. The government should be some of aid to other students who cannot afford to go to college and help reduce college costs by providing money to those who need it. The FAFSA that students should apply for to get some financial aid for college does not seem to be enough for most of us. As college tuition increases, it is not reasonable for the government not to step in and help. The amount of money in student loans are usually large in size so it is appropriate for it to be based on income. Low-income students probably will have a hard time paying back their loans so basing the loans on their incomes will help them pay them back in a shorter period of time instead of having to worry about paying their loans back in the next 20-30 years. With that being said, I support Obama's plan. I oppose Richard Vedder's plan. Reduction in government funding will cause a decrease in number of students attending college annually. Less students could cause more colleges to be closed. Colleges are the students' only hope of maintaining a stable job in their future. We need colleges and the government needs to step in and help us pursue our education after graduation from high school.

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10/25/2011
Irving/Texas

Aaron
Bradley/Nimitz
The government's main concern since Obama took office is how they plan on giving everyone in America's workforce a job. In order to get a job, one must have the necessary skills and qualifications, which means achieving a college degree. The problem is, not many people can afford an education at big universities, and in order for people to get the jobs the Government has set up for them, they must have a degree. So if people aren't able to pay for their education themselves, the government should have some kind of program that helps give some sort of financial aid to those who need it.

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10/25/2011
Dallas/Texas

Lauren
Bradley/ nimitz
The government wants the economy to get better, and for almost every American to have a job. So there for almost every American has to have some type of degree in some form. Now and days you have to have at least your GED to get a job. But those jobs mainly pay minimum wage. People have to pay to go to college and it is not cheap at all. The government promotes education and wants every person to go. But not every person is rich or have grades to get scholarships.The money has to come from there pockets and well more than half of Americans can not afford it.

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10/24/2011
Irving, Tx

Karla V.
Bradley/Nimitz
I think that the government can definitely help make college cheaper to go to. The government promotes education; they make education kind of like a vital thing to do to be successful. If they really want the United States to stay at the top, then more education opportunities should be given. By making college more pricey, high school students tend to get away from the idea of college. They would much rather prefer to work at a dead end job to make enough money for them or for their family than having to waste thousands of dollars on their future. Obama's idea is smart but then like in my case, my father has his own small business but he also has his workers. He has to pay his workers weekly. Our monthly income would be a large amount but in the end after using that money to buy more equipment for my dad's job and having to buy groceries and other necessities we don't have a large lump sum of money left over. By me having to pay the government that much money monthly, it would be kind of difficult to pay in all of it.

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10/24/2011
Irving/Texas

Kirstin F.
Bradley/Nimitz
I think the government can help to lower the cost of college. The government should cut back on some of the unnecessary spending they do and try to help those who don't have the thousands of dollars go to college. I completely agree with Obama's plan to base loan payments on your income because what if you don't make enough money to pay off your loans yet. Then you are just steadily going deeper into debt. There are many ways the government could help cut the cost of college but the most important is stopping unneeded spending.

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10/24/2011
Irving/Tx

Vanessa B.
Bradley/Nimitz
College is already hard enough to get into. When I say that I am speaking about the huge Universities. College is very expensive and a lot of people who are scoring real good grades can not even go to a good college because they can not afford it. The government can make the cost to go to college less then it is now days.