During a time of astronomical student debt in America, it is time for the United States to provide free public college tuition to all students.

According to Forbes.com, student loan debt has reached over $1.2 trillion as of 2014.

Citizens in Germany, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, and even Iceland get the opportunity to continue higher education without worry of student debt.

Regardless of these citizens circumstances, they have an equal chance to achieve academic excellence and further better their lives.

While the citizens of these countries pay high rates in taxes, destitute students dreams for economic advancement are viable with free college tuition.

In America, students from poor backgrounds decline a college education because they do not want to face an insurmountable pile of debt.

Bright students in Compton, Harlem, Detroit, and poor San Juan Capistrano neighborhoods lack the college credentials to have success in their desired profession.

Unfortunately for most in the upper-middle class suburbs of San Juan Capistrano and Ladera Ranch, they fail to look past their own circumstances and acknowledge the struggles of poor and working class students.

This continues to push generations of families back from future economic advancement. As a result, the gap between the rich and the poor increases in America.  

For example, states are funding its students less and less, while investing more in prisons. In 2015, the University of California system was caught with $30 million in private prison investments.  As a result, the UC system had to increase tuition and privatize education. These loopholes cause underprivileged students to turn down higher education.

Our school systems claim that financial issues should not derail a student’s chances for academic success. In reality, money has halted the opportunities of struggling poor and working class students while continuing to elevate those with enough resources.

American plutocrats have dictated the future of America. The elites, also known as plutocrats, design a system to give well-to-do students more opportunities and ignore poverty-stricken students. Unfortunately, the high tuition rates disable true advancement in America’s capitalistic society.

The idea of free public college is not a personal vendetta against the rich. Instead, this new plan will level the playing field and practice true equality in our public education system.

Whether it is Tiffany Trump or a penniless student in Harlem, each person in America should be able to advance their lives through education.