Did you know that Germany, among other countries throughout the world, is giving away college educations? Why, oh why, has The United States not jumped on this bandwagon?

Times have changed, and we all know this. We all have at least one member in our family that tells us, time and time again, that things are more expensive now than they were in the past. Everything from move tickets to groceries, and let’s not forget college tuition.

In the past it was cheaper for students to pay their tuition fees, often times simply by working a part time job side by side with their classes. Sometimes they’d have to work through their summers, but they could get it done one way or the other. And their chances were better to find a job once they were done with school. With college tuition rising nationwide we are all forced to sit back and wonder whether or not we can actually afford the education we want.

The rub comes when we realize countries like Germany are not charging for college tuition, and we still are. This is one of those lovely situations where America, in all of its supposed “glory,” is cast in a different light. The reasoning behind Germany’s decision? “We got rid of tuition fees because we do not want higher education which depends on the wealth of the parents.” Gabrielle Heinen-Kjajic, the minister of science and culture in Lower Saxony, said in a statement. Sounds like a good idea, yes? Ensuring that future generations are knowledgeable and well versed, afforded all of the benefits of a college education without the negatives of student loans and having to sell your soul in order to cover your yearly tuition costs. Again, why are we not jumping on this bandwagon?

A sad truth of our countries higher education system is that it is a business, and a growing one at that. Parents nationwide are saving for their children’s college educations, and those that cannot set money aside are prepared to take out loans in order to pay the cost. And then there are the obvious interest rates, which are staggering to say the least. Will the U.S. take the hint and go the way of countries like Germany, or will we continue to squeeze every last cent out of those men and women who seek to go to college? Only time will tell if we are capable of making such a selfless decision, but if things continue to go the way they have been going, tuition will continue to rise to a sky rocketing pace before they disappear completely.