I worked hard to get good grades in high school, and that helped me get to where I am today. However, I also went to a really good school that was well funded, in a nice, affluent area, and had educators who cared (for the most part). I had parents who valued education and pushed me to focus on my studies.I had the resources to participate in extra-curriculars that helped boost my resume and make me more eligible for scholarships. I was able to study at home because I had the right materials to do so (like pencils, paper and electricity). I didn't have to fear for my life on my way to or from school. I didn't have to work 40 hours a week to help support my family. I didn't have to worry more about my hunger than my homework. I didn't have a learning disability that made it difficult to keep up with class, and if I did, I had access to resources to help me overcome that obstacle. And even still, I will be in a lot of debt when I graduate.

Despite my achievements, I was still at a disadvantage for scholarships considering 40% of all private scholarships and 76% of institution merit-based scholarships and grant funding are given to white people, which I am not.

I acknowledge my privilege, but will never use it to disadvantage others.The assumption that everyone has an equal opportunity as you do, and success is based solely on hard work alone, is the basis of negative privilege. If you are in a situation where you received enough scholarships to cover all of your tuition, that is great for you, but understand that your situation allowed for that opportunity. Some people work just as hard as you do, but because of their circumstances, can't achieve the same things as you can.

College should be free because education at all levels is never a privilege, it is a human right. Article 26 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights states

"Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit."

The belief that education is a privilege, reserved only for those who can financially afford it, is the basis of a lot of the world's issues. We have people in developing countries being oppressed because of the idea that only certain people deserve an education.

We live in a country where we are more than willing to use taxes to fund prisons and wars, but not education and healthcare. We would rather invest in putting kids in jail than giving them the opportunity to learn. We hate welfare systems, but we refuse to help people get the resources to get off of those systems.

I personally wouldn't mind if we had a system where my taxes funded education, and where entrance into college was based on educational merit as opposed to financial status. We can do what other countries with free education do and have colleges administer entrance exams that use more than just multiple choice questions to test intelligence, and offer acceptance based off of those exams. And if someone is not doing well in classes, they can be kicked out of school so that they are not taking advantage of the system.

We need to stop being so afraid to invest in each other, because an investment in one another is an investment in the betterment of our whole country. A college degree is earned, but we need to grant everyone the opportunity to earn one.