Dear College,

Please stop taking my money! Four years from now, you expect me to launch into the world and become a success. I know you want what’s best for me and will prepare me well with internships, new friends and lifelong field of interest. But, when I live my life in the “real world," I will be bound to the bank because of my student debt. Every move I make will be determined by factoring in if I have enough each month to make my annual loan payment. I know it’s something small, but it would make a huge difference if you would provide not only me, but all students, with the books they need for each semester. One book could make the difference to whether or not I live a free life, or am tied to student debt payments.

In all seriousness, College, student debt is a huge issue. It is a problem that about 43.3 million students faced in the year 2016 alone. Yes, I understand that student debt is part of the process because so few people can pay for college outright. But, it is important to look at the big picture. These young graduates are expected to be the future of America and start new enterprises, run companies and work hard to maintain a steady income to support themselves. How can these young workers create a nice life for themselves when they are cemented to the ground with the student debt payments?

One solution to this issue would be for colleges to start providing the necessary books to the students every semester. The average cost of books is about $1,200. Although this number may seem small compared to the other expenses in a college student’s life, with these out of pocket costs down the drain, it could play a huge role in the student’s future. Colleges all have endowments, or funds in which alumni donate some money out of their love and gratitude for the school. The endowments at most of these colleges are large, and there should be a certain section of the endowment that goes strictly towards book money for students. Plus, if current students didn’t have to pay for their books, then they might have less debt to pay back. When they are able to have economic freedom, they will be able to contribute back to Stonehill’s endowment, creating a full-circle process. Also, with the growth of technology, professors could upload the pages needed onto websites. This would be cheaper for everyone! Then, students could print them saving money on paying for the actual books.

In conclusion, books should be free! It is so unnecessary for students to pay so much just to rent books for the semester. The least you can do, College, is help out a little and provide me, and everyone else, with books to help us all succeed at school and life.

Sincerely,

All College Students