Free education is not free
Re: Time for free education (Oct. 21)
Access to education is certainly an issue, especially when it comes to students having the financial resources to attend university. But an education is not free. If a student doesn’t pay their tuition, the Canadian public will have to pay it for them.
Picture this situation: I decide to go to university, pay no tuition, finish school, and walk right into a well-paying job. A friend of mine decides to go to work straight out of high school.
Why should my friend be expected to pay for my education (through taxes), especially if I am going to be making a great salary after school? That is certainly not a fair situation.
A better solution is income- contingent loans. All students who get accepted into university should have access to the funds they require. This means all University of Toronto undergraduate and graduate students would be guaranteed $12,000 (if they want it) for tuition and living expenses. They would receive this money every year they are in school. These loans would be interest-free.
After graduation and once they find a job, students would be required to pay back their loans once they reach a certain threshold of salary (say, $35,000 per year).
Students would pay a certain percentage of their salaries until their loans are paid off. University is not for everyone—those who decide not to go should not be asked to pay for it.
Paul Chiarot
