The idea of ​​freedom and equal opportunity on which America was built has sadly been lost and replaced with a quality education system accessible only to rich. In-state tuition should be free for all students who meet entry requirements, allowing students from all economic backgrounds to have the same opportunity to receive the same education. The incidence of poverty in the United States is directly linked to educational attainment. When earning a college degree, income levels increase (College Board). The best use of the federal government's anti-poverty funds is not another welfare or assistance program; is to make college education accessible to all. Higher education is no longer enough to succeed in America's increasingly complex economy. However, due to the high price of a college education, too many Americans cannot afford an education beyond high school. As shown in the chart below, the higher level of education received significantly increases employment opportunities and also dramatically increases an individual's average salary potential. (College Council) With more and more Americans falling into the lower middle class, (Curtis) action needs to be taken to ensure that young Americans are not shut out of college because tuition is too high. Furthermore, many of our top private universities are at risk of being accessible only to those from the wealthiest families. With the total price of a degree from a top U.S. college or university hovering around $150,000, even some of our best private universities are at risk of being accessible only to those from the wealthiest families. the most sought after high school graduates are abandoning universities like Yale and Stanford in favor of cheaper options -- com...... middle of document ...... February 2010. May 6, 2012.Woodruff , Mandi. “Not even a PhD could keep this man off food stamps.” Company interior. May 9, 2012. May 11, 2012. Murray, Sarah. “Welfare numbers see a sharp increase.” The Wall Street Journal. June 22, 2009. May 20. 2012.Curtis, Jack. “The Decline of the American Middle Class.” American thinker. April 5, 2010. May 19. 2012.Lucas, Fred. “Obama will spend more on welfare next year than Bush spent on the entire Iraq war, study finds.” Central nervous system news. September 22, 2009. May 19. 2012.>