Dear Governor Baker,

My name is Lili Klayman, and I am a junior at Mansfield High School. I am writing to you in the hopes that you and your administration will consider implementing tuition-free college for students in Massachusetts who struggle to pay for college. Many of my fellow students are unable to attend college due to their socioeconomic status; this is simply unfair, and prohibits promising students from reaching their full potential, and contributing all they can to society. I strongly believe that a program offering tuition-free college would be largely beneficial, not only to students, but to the state of Massachusetts as a whole. 

New York state has recently implemented a new program called the Excelsior Scholarship. This allows middle-class students to apply for a program granting them a free in-state college education. In return, students agree to work in New York for an agreed-upon period of time after they graduate. There are many benefits to programs like these. For one, it helps level the playing field by increasing access to good education for lower income students. Equal education has many important benefits, such as increased gender equality in the classroom and the workforce, and more economic growth. Guaranteeing equal education doesn’t just help students who otherwise wouldn’t be able to go to college, it benefits society as a whole.

In addition, scholarships like these are helpful to the state as well to the student, and should be seen as an investment. Students with college degrees are more likely to get higher paying, better jobs, thus allowing them to spend more money and contribute more to the economy. In addition, since this type of scholarship keeps students in the state after college, there’s more of a guarantee that the state will benefit from a financial standpoint. This cycle of investment will make our community a more educated one, as well as benefit the state economically.

I have chosen specifically to write this letter to you, Governor Baker, because I have seen how passionate you are when it comes to helping our state's youth. It’s apparent to me that you care about education, and about helping students reach their full potential, regardless of socioeconomic background. You have spoken out about the need for college tuition reform, and now it is time to take action. By implementing a program similar to the Excelsior Scholarship in New York state, I believe that you can bring many of the obvious benefits to Massachusetts.

Sincerely,

Lili Klayman