America is facing a massive shortage of skilled labor, teachers and nurses, among other occupations. The institutions which heal the sick, educate our children and raise our buildings from the ground are being starved of the talent they need to succeed. Colleges in America, both two-year and four-year, play an important part in providing the talent needed to fill those roles, paving the way into the middle class for millions of working Americans. Unfortunately, these opportunities are increasingly restricted to those whose families can afford to take on massive amounts of debt, as the cost of college has increased by over 160% since 2000. This limits opportunities for students from working-class backgrounds, and hurts our economy in the long run. To keep costs under control and keep the American Dream alive, politicians need to enact tuition freezes, so that students can get the education and training they need to build the future of the country.

We as the Minnesota State University, Mankato College Democrats feel the pain of our fellow students. While some of us have significant support from family, many are beginning to fall into crippling debt. The costs here and across our state forces families to adapt in ways that aren’t conducive to the communities developing across rural Minnesota. We need to support our developing workforce not burden it. All members of our community should be allowed to thrive in our state.

Emma Fuhrman

Mankato