Growing up, my parents instilled in me early on that there was “no such thing as a free lunch.” Meaning, everything cost something, even if it appeared not to. I lived my life from elementary to high school, working, earning what I got, and appreciating what I had. There was that new American Girl Doll that all my friends got? I had to do chores around the house for six months to earn the hundred dollars for the doll. The family wanted to go to Disneyland? We had to put coins into a jar, to save up for the trip. And somehow, that all made what we got, worth it.

I had spent my whole life working, getting ready to live what my grandpa called “the American dream.” So why does it seem like that dream has died? Everyone complains about taxes and the new president and their job and the list can go on and on. There are strikes at McDonald’s for their pay to be raised to the pay of a firefighter, while the hardworking, and honest people just get stuck with helping everyone out.

This is the same with free college.

Yes, I know college is expensive, I myself am only a freshman and have gotten all the bills that go towards me getting a tiny slip of paper that says “Hey you did it! You are done with school forever!” Yes, books are crazy expensive, and housing is laughable. But you know what, it’s okay. I already received 13 years of “free” education where all we had to pay was for some school supplies and a new first-day-of-school outfit. But here is the secret many don’t get – it wasn’t free. Public schools are funded by the taxpayer. A large percentage of homeowner’s property tax money goes to fund public education. Our schools are stretched as it is, teachers are underpaid….and now they want to throw free college into that pot too? Many countries still don’t offer free primary education, to which we should be entirely grateful we are living in America. How can we burden the system anymore then it is?“

So free college? When I heard that New York was offering free four-year college programs I had to laugh. What?

To me, paying for my own education is a rite of passage that many teenagers get to cross. It’s a way to ensure that you do your very best in school, to get that degree, because you, yourself are paying for that class. If we gave everyone free college, then what motivation would that be for people to finish? They could just drop out anytime, without any concern for the money they wasted. Paying for classes and books is an incentive that gives you a reason to not waste that money you just spent.

It also establishes responsibility with the student. By paying for their own schooling they are getting a glimpse of the real world. It is a time when parents step back and watch their child grow and become an adult. If free stuff keeps getting handed out, then when will anyone ever learn?

Back to my initial point - who is going to pay for it? The government? Well, where does the government get the money? That’s right, again, you and I, the taxpayers. The hard-working, still paying off their own student loans, now having to pay for yours, people. New York state already has one of the highest property tax rates in the nation. People literally leave New York because the tax rates are unbearable; so they want to promise even more free stuff and throw another tax increase bill for the taxpayers to further absorb?

Another thought is if you are offering free college, how are the other institutions going to compete? Those private colleges, that doesn’t get any government funding, how are they going to go on? Everyone will rush to the free stuff while some good colleges will be forced to close.

It is not impossible to leave college with little-to-no student debt. It takes some number crunching and hard work, but it is fully achievable. There are so many scholarships that go unclaimed each year; so much money, getting ignored. Applying to scholarships is one of the easiest ways to get funded for college, and all it takes is some essay writing and searching. Working is also the obvious choice. Putting a chunk of your paycheck each week to go towards payments will help, as well as choosing to not go out to eat every Friday, or deciding to not buy that new iPhone. The little changes you make can have an impact on how fast you can pay off your college.

As nice as life would be to exit college without any loans, it is just not practical. Someone has to pay for all the free things being offered. It is not fair to make others pay for another person’s college. It would be way more self-rewarding if you finished college knowing that you earned that degree on your own dime, without any government payouts or help.