In-State_Tuition_Proposal

Changing schools is tough. From being stared down in the hallways to having strange classes, being “that new kid” is always a challenge. On a personal note, I transferred from a school in Georgia to a school in Alabama. I was called all sorts of mean names just during the first week of starting my new school. On top of that, I was placed in quite the assortment of classes, ranging from freshmen to senior classes. I left all of my best friends since preschool back in Georgia to come to a new home where I was alone. All new students go through similar tribulations. These issues are inevitable. However, there is one major problem that can be fixed. A percentage of the taxes we pay go to the state. These taxes cover mainly healthcare and education. On average, forty percent of the state’s dollars go to education; furthermore, fourteen percent go to higher education. Therefore, a family who has lived in a particular state and has paid their taxes should undoubtedly get a cut on the in-state university’s tuition. After all, it is their money that has funded the university. But what if someone moves to a different state his/her senior year and plans to attend college in his/her new state' The family has only paid one year of that state’s taxes. That is certainly not enough to cover a decent chunk of college tuition. And what if it is the other way around' What about the family that moved states during high school but can no longer get in-state tuition to the college they wish to attend' Does this seem fair to you' It is not fair. This is not fair to the state; this is not fair to the parents, and this is not fair to the student. Currently, in-state tuition is based on the student’s senior year. Whichever state the student lives in their last year of high school is the state they will receive tuition for. I am proposing a simple solution to this unjust system. We have to completely erase the current system regarding what is considered “in-state.” Instead, the following guidelines will be in place. The family has to have paid all of their taxes and be able to show documents with evidence of their payments. A family has to have lived in the state for a total of fifteen years. This can be a few years at a time, but if moving between states occurs, documentation is required for proof of residency. The mother and/or father do not have to have a child, be married, or even have met yet. As long as one of the parents has lived and been employed in the state, they are eligible. Here are a few examples. A woman moved to North Carolina with her baby, and she got a job. She had lived there for eight years when she met her husband. He has lived in North Carolina for his entire life in his parents’ house without a job. They will be eligible for in-state tuition because by the time her child is eighteen, the wife will have been employed in North Carolina for over fifteen years. Another example is a husband and wife lived in New York for seven and a half years. They both were employed in New York. They moved to Texas where they had a child. The wife never went back to work, but the husband worked for the next eighteen years. They never moved back to New York, but the child is eligible for in-state tuition in both New York and Texas. The couple’s seven and a half years of work in New York equals fifteen years, meaning that they have paid enough taxes to be eligible. Since the father worked for more than eighteen years in Texas, the student can also be eligible for in-state tuition there. In conclusion, as long as the family can prove residency and tax payments for fifteen years, they should be able to attend any college within that specific state at a cut price (in-state tuition). This method will prevent people from cheating the state and it’s people. It will also bring justice for the loyal people of the state who had to move for unfortunate reasons. With this new system, we can make changing schools a little easier.