TO THE EDITOR:
One of the many debates that arose from the issue of tuition increase is whether or not quality education is a right. I don’t claim to have the answer to that question. However, I can unequivocally say that making quality higher education affordable to everyone will only improve society.
My father is a perfect example of how making higher education affordable can improve society. He grew up incredibly poor. He spent his early adolescence in an orphanage because his mother could not afford to support him and his six siblings. My dad’s brothers dropped out of high school because, even if they could get in to college, they could not pay for it.
My father was fortunate to escape the poverty he grew up in. After initially dropping out of high school, my dad got his GED and was admitted to a university. More importantly, my dad received Pell grants, which enabled him to afford college. Today, my dad is a university provost who pays taxes and is actively involved in bettering his community. Without Pell grants, my father would likely have turned out like his brothers.
When the board decided on tuition increases, they should have kept people like my father in mind.
South Moore
Freshman
Political Science, History
