Over the past few weeks, President Barack Obama has pressed to offer free community college to every high school graduate.

He continously cites that too many bright, young minds are being turned away from higher education due to steep prices as the problem, but is giving free tuition really the solution?

We don’t believe so.

As of 2:23 p.m. on Jan. 22, the national debt for the United States sits north of 18 trillion dollars, which equates to $54,000 for each citizen, according to the United States Debt Clock.

Free tuition seems like a grand idea, especially considering that student loan debt totals more than $1.3 trillion, according to the Wall Street Journal, but when asking the question of how to make room for free tuition in the budget, the answer is simply that you can’t.

In reality, it’s an expense that the country just can’t afford. Currently, students who really want to receive a better education can apply for scholarships and loans to cover their costs for school. The opportunity is there.

Free community college would also cut into students who attend four-year schools pell grants, presumably, something that might keep a bright mind from attending a state university.

So many questions are left unanswered in the wake of Obama’s proposal for free education. It’s important to remember that everything has a cost – that nothing is really free.