What’s This About? Learning is essential and a fundamental process of life. We build our career paths and hone our skills simultaneously while we study. However, in reality, postsecondary education is not so affordable. Expensive college tuition fees are a common problem all around the world and they are easily becoming quite burdensome to students. College is supposed to be a basic process of life, but the fees that students need to pay are immensely onerous, both financially and emotionally. Should colleges make their tuition fees more affordable for students?
This house believes colleges should make tuition more affordable.
Pro - “I agree…” Over 70 percent of high school graduates go to college in Korea. As more students strive for higher education, college tuition fees have surged. According to the OECD, the average college tuition in Korea was the fourth highest among member countries, but public funding only makes 26.9 percent of it. CNN stated, Korea “falls behind the average of those in state scholarships and student loans.” Schools are relying so heavily on money from tuition fees that the financial burden on students is only getting worse. In order to pay for housing, food, and college, students constantly have to look for part-time jobs all while juggling classes, social life, and other work.
It’s come to a point where students are always on the lookout for part-time jobs. In addition, according to The Korea Herald, around 45.5 percent of recent grads applied to “whatever job they could find” in order to pay off their loans and debts. The whole point of pursuing postsecondary education is to ultimately reach one’s goal in life, but it’s only causing loans to pile up. The pain inflicted on these students goes beyond money. Lee Tae-eog, a professor from KAIST, said, “The government should not constrict investment in colleges. Instead, it should expand scholarship programs and double funding for colleges.”
Joanne Yang For The Teen Times (ttt@timescore.co.kr)
Con - “I disagree…” No one can argue the fact that education is the backbone of an advancing society, and it probably has been one of the greatest factors in the evolution of humanity. In fact, according to Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” For years now, many have brought up issues of higher education being too expensive for students, and with good reason, since the large costs of school tuition can be a burden on most students. However, there is a vast array of methods available for both citizens and international students to get the education that they need at a lower cost. Not only do even the most prestigious schools have a plethora of scholarship programs already in place to help lessen the financial burden, but they also allow students to work part-time to help pay off the school tuition as well, according to Seoul National University.
In addition to the fact that low cost options for learning already exist, lowering the cost of higher education even more can demotivate students to work hard and put in the effort to perform well academically. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, “a scholarship may cover from 30 percent up to 100 percent of the tuition” depending on the student’s academic performance. This will ultimately motivate students to strive for academic excellence to ensure alleviation of financial burdens.
Joanne Kim For The Teen Times (ttt@timescore.co.kr)
1. What is the main argument of pro?
2. What is the main argument of con?
3. Do you agree with pro or con?
1. Do you agree that learning is essential and a fundamental process of life?
2. What do you think about the issue of expensive college tuition fees in Korea?
3. Do you want to go to college?
4. Do you know any countries that have affordable college tuition fees?
Pro - “I agree…”
Con - “I disagree…”
