Why do I have to pay for a college education in this country?

For the same reason you have to pay for hair cuts, lawyers services, tax services, and doctors visits. There are expenses iincurred in providing a service including salaries.

Because a school is a business, the school (business) provides you (the client) with the service of teaching and in exchange you (the client) pay money to cover the costs of providing that service because you (the client) are the one who will benefit from that education.

Chin Up. Unless you are in a private college which does not accept government funds, what you pay in tuition is about half the actual cost of your education. Alumni associations and taxpayers (who will not directly benefit from your education) are paying the rest.

Who do you think should pay the instructors who will be teaching you?

Because this country is run by money. I think its crappy, I already have over $20,000 in loans and have another two years to go. I almost to the point where I max out and can't get anymore. How are our students supposed to get an education in a country where we spend more money on our prisons than our students? There is no reason why people who need financial aid can not get it!

There is over $125,000.00 per student available in student financial aid for students that are pursuing serious educations.

If you are maxing out, either take something other than basketweaving or bowling, or start passing core classes.

If you want it free, go to Canada. You'll get what you pay for.

Because you don't have to go to college.

Fewer people who go to college=more people with not so good education=more people who are not going to get a good job=more people who become desperate for work so they can pay the rent=more people who work at McDonalds=more rich people who can buy a burger 24-7!

To pay the millions of dollars the coaches make for the football and basketball teams. I think they should be subsidized by the pro sports since college is nothing more then a training ground for jocks.
And how would they pay for the stadiums?

Because it costs a lot to give you a college education. There are professors, administrators, staff, building maitenance, land costs, equipment, the list goes on and on. Colleges are, for the most-part non-profit entities. It costs them more to teach you than you pay.

So why do you think you deserve it to be free? What makes you special?

I agree with James, you pay because there are serious costs involved in college education (i.e. facilities, faculty, etc.) I do agree with some of the other answers that some non-educational costs could be cut (i.e. sports programs). At most major colleges mens college basketball and football make money, but to have those and other male sports federal courts have interpreted laws that say colleges must provide an equal number of women's sports programs. Whether you like it or not, most men's sports and almost every women's collegiate sport loses money. Students and alumni make up the difference.

You can reduce your costs by going to community college or other smaller universities. There are also several free universities in the country like Berea College in Kentucky (see source story in US News and World report). Also the states of Georgia and Minnesota offer resident students with a qualifying high school grade point average to get free tuition at certain state schools.

Last, in comparison to many other countries American tuition seems expensive. Understand that while some countries allow for free tuition, most of those countries only allow a small top percentage of secondary education (high school) graduates to attend. If you don't make the cut you are automatically not allowed to attend or sent to a vocational school (to learn a skill....i.e. hard work).