If the United States government paid for the first two years of college for all citizens, would the societal outcome be worth the investment? Some people believe that giving all Americans an equal opportunity to go to college and earn a degree would advance today's society. There are good programs available today that allow low-income families to obtain financial assistance. Adding additional pressure to the US tax system, when good financial relief programs are already in place today, has more disadvantages than advantages. So the U.S. government should not pay for two years of tuition for every citizen who graduates from a U.S. high school. An associate's degree would become commonplace in society and essentially insignificant. There would be an additional tuition burden on taxpayers if the government had to pay for the first two years of every citizen's college education. Additionally, additional taxation would be needed to help build the necessary infrastructure on college campuses to handle increased growth. As more people begin to attend college, a degree begins to lose its importance. An associate's degree would begin to become the protocol for anyone attending the public school system in America. Instead of public school ending at twelfth grade, it would continue through sophomore year of college. Like a high school diploma, an associate's degree would become commonplace and accessible to everyone. According to Cusumano, “freedom sends a signal to the world that what you are offering costs little and may not be worth paying for”(27). Going to college would become commonplace, and people would begin to find no reason to pay expensive tuition for higher level courses for something provided for free...... middle of paper .... .d for low-income citizens and possible reductions in other beneficial programs. Finally, government involvement in funding additional higher education programs would require it to fund infrastructure it simply cannot afford. The government and the American people should not be responsible for sending every citizen to college. College should be a personal choice, and if a person truly wants to pursue an education, the burden of paying for or seeking aid from existing programs should fall on them. Works Cited Cusumano, Michael A. "Are the Costs of 'Free' Education Too High in Online Education?." Communications of the ACM 56.4 (2013): 26-29. Academic Research Completed. Internet . July 13, 2013. Post, Kyle. “The Higher Education Tax in Incentives: Why Today’s Reform is Needed.” Southern Law Journal 23.1 (2013): 73-98. 2013.