The current job landscape in Canada has one consistent variable if you are searching for a higher paying job than minimum wage and it is the need for a post-secondary education of some kind. In order to engage in a post-secondary education you require funding which depending on your program of choice can cost a prospective student upwards of $50,000. The post-secondary system is disadvantageous to those individuals who lack the necessary funds to fulfill their journey and puts them into crippling student loan debt before even beginning. This puts students in a difficult situation; either take the debt with the hopes that your degree will pay off in the long run, or take a low paying job without the immediate debt. This poses the question, what if post secondary tuition were fully paid for? Free post-secondary education would be beneficial to students in British Columbia because it gives them the opportunity to follow their passion wholeheartedly without the risk of financial downfall.
Currently, when students are choosing their major or area of interest for post-secondary studies they are guided towards more practical options that have a more lucrative post-grad income. According to Ellen Anderson from CollegeRaptor, going down this path may warrant you with a higher salary, however it may lead you astray from your actual passions and areas of interest. If shelling out thousands of dollars for your education was not an issue, students would have the freedom to choose an area of study that particularly interests them and they will actually enjoy. This would lead to students being more devoted to their studies and increase the chances of them finishing their degrees. The opportunity for students to study what they desire without any consequences would increase the number of people who choose to attend college and therefore creates a more educated workforce and a populus with better critical thinking skills. With free post-secondary education the younger generation wouldn’t be crushed by student debt and would be able to contribute to the economy in a variety of ways such as buying houses, cars, and travelling.
Having tuition free post-secondary education in British Columbia would allow students to choose their area of study freely without the concern of repaying student loans in the future. This would entice more individuals to engage in a post-secondary path which would be beneficial for themselves and the populus overall. The provincial government should attempt to create an open dialogue for discussion regarding tuition fees to see where citizens stand on this topic and take action if need be.
