Free tuition is unfair to the military community

Jeremy Stearns sits at his desk in the Army Recruiters Office on Lynnhaven Parkway. 
Photo by Shelly Slocum.

Shocked.

That is the only word to describe how Jeremy Stearns felt as he watched the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. Filled with patriotism and a desire to help his country in its time of need, Stearns drove to the Army recruiting center in Virginia Beach and enlisted to become an infantryman on September 12.

“It was a great experience as an infantryman,” said SSG Jeremy Stearns of the U.S. Army, 37. “Not only did I get the chance to fight for my country, I got to help another country… to sustain themselves and make them better.”

His experiences gave him memories that would last a lifetime, and the military rewarded him for his service as they do all men and women of the military and provided benefits that have helped him avoid a number of bad financial situations.

Rather than owing college thousands of dollars, Stearns earned his associate's degree with the Federal Tuitions Assistance Program, which is available only to military and provides $4000 per year.

“I had the option to share my post-9/11; so I gave 50% to my wife, and she earned her associate's. And I’ll be giving the other 50% to my son,” said Stearns. “The military has paid for three going on four degrees for me and my family.”

The G.I. Bill provides $100,000 for military personnel, potentially covering everything including rent for a college student. Although military families don’t have to worry about student debt, they worry about other things an average student will never have to, like facing a deadly deployment.

While the military earns their right not to worry about drowning in an ocean of student debt, that doesn’t stop the leaders of our country and other citizens from worrying about themselves. According to democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s campaign website, student debt in the U.S. has grown to more than $1.2 trillion.

Over the summer, Clinton announced a proposal for what she calls a “debt-free” future and eliminate tuition for working families. According to her site, Clinton is suggesting several steps including a payroll deduction from American paychecks, offering debt relief for people starting a business, or as a reward for those going into public service, such as AmeriCorps and teachers in high-need subjects. Clinton’s plan targets those who have an average yearly income of $125,000 or less, which is more than 80% of families according to Clinton’s site. She also plans to make four-year public colleges or universities tuition free for families making $85,000 a year or less.

While some agree with Clinton’s idea of freeing students from debt and lowering tuition, the thought of the pot head who barely passed high school getting the same privilege as a soldier who goes through hell to fight for their country doesn’t seem right. Living in a military community, I cannot fully express my distaste for the idea of so many of my friends' sacrifices being taken for granted.

“If you make college free,” said Sean Wells, future Cavalier at the University of Virginia. “College just becomes high school Part Two.”

Wells said that he thinks free tuition will cause some people take the education for granted and they will only go to college because their parents will make them.

“We need to be worried about items being offered for free that actually cost a lot of money,” said Barmak Nassirian, director of federal relations and policy analysis for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. “Because what you may find is that the government will water down the education for the sake of calling it ‘free’.”

I look at people like Stearns, my best friend, and many of my old classmates, and I realize that they have earned so much more than the free college they receive; and if the American people are willing to 'water down' the education in order to give it to those who haven't earned it, I can't begin to describe the sadness I feel for where our country is headed.

As people continue to search for the unknown solution to this ever-growing problem, the military and their sacrifices should always be kept in mind. And for those who worry about future debt, making a career in the military -- or possibly the Army Reserves for those who don’t wish to make a career out of it -- is a much better solution than expecting the government to give away an endless supply of an expensive education.

“I’ve been deployed four times, three to Iraq, which were one year deployments, and one to Afghanistan which was 15 months,” said Stearns. “The four deployments I’ve gone through have been extremely worth the benefits. The military has definitely taken care of me.”

This has been my daily bagel.