DEBT-FREE COLLEGEb y L e o P o l l a r d

H O W W E B E N E F I T F R O M

THE PROBLEM

Tuition at colleges anduniversities throughout the

country has increased byover 170 percent since 1995.

THE RESULT

Student loan debt in theUnited States has tripled

in the last 10 years.

THE COST

$1.23 billion dollars of debt,declining enrollment andincreasing dropout rates.

A CONUNDRUM

The necessity of collegecoupled with its high costthreatens the future of our

society.

THE SOLUTION

We should do what we canto make college debt-freeand improve the situationof former students already

saddled with debt.

SUPPORT

Over 60% of Americansagree that tuition freecollege is a necessity.

BENEFITS

In the following slides I'veshared some of the ways

we'll benefit from thismovement.

GLOBALLY COMPETITIVEW i t h c o u n t r i e s i n E u r o p e a n d S o u t h

A m e r i c a o f f e r i n g f r e e c o l l e g e , w e m u s te n s u r e t h a t o u r c i t i z e n s h a v e t h e a b i l i t y

t o c o m p e t e i n a n i n c r e a s i n g l y g l o b a le c o n o m y .

CLOSING THE WEALTH GAPS t u d e n t s w i t h j u s t a h i g h s c h o o l

d i p l o m a e a r n $ 1 7 , 0 0 0 l e s s a y e a r t h a ns t u d e n t s w i t h a 4 - y e a r d e g r e e . T h e

d i f f e r e n c e i n t h e q u a l i t y o f l i f e c a n b ed r a s t i c .

DIVERSITYB l a c k s t u d e n t s a n d o t h e r m i n o r i t i e s a r e m o r e

l i k e l y t o d r o p o u t o f c o l l e g e , o f t e n d u e t o t h e i ri n a b i l i t y t o a f f o r d t h e r i s i n g c o s t o f a n

e d u c a t i o n . Y e t , o u r c o l l e g e s , w o r k p l a c e s a n dc o m m u n i t i e s a r e e n h a n c e d b y d i f f e r e n t r a c e s ,

b a c k g r o u n d s a n d l i f e e x p e r i e n c e s .

INNOVATIONR e m o v i n g t h e s t r e s s o f f i n a n c e s , s t u d e n t s

w i l l h a v e m o r e o p p o r t u n i t i e s t o t h r i v ec r e a t i v e l y , a n d h a v e a g r e a t e r i n c e n t i v et o d e v e l o p n e w b u s i n e s s e s a n d p r o d u c t s .

CONCLUSION

These are just a few wayswe can reverse the trendsof our current situation.

FOR MORE INFO

Visit my recent blog on thistopic and feel free to share.

THANK YOU

www.leopollard.com