How Can We Make College Free

Promise Programs During Covid

The performance of promise programs during the COVID-19 pandemic is instructive. The pandemic strained promise programs even though states do not shoulder the full burden of the program costs. Budget uncertainty in the early days of the pandemic even caused some states to make cuts or significant changes to their programs.3 The Oregon legislature, for example, cut the states promise by $3.6 millionand the cuts came after the free tuition awards were sent out, meaning the state had to revoke awards already given to students. Around 1,000 Oregon students lost their free community college tuition. Marylands appropriations to support the states two-year free college program have declined from $15 million two years ago to $8 million today. After disbursing all $8 million, 2,880 students were still on the waiting list.

Should College Be Free: What About Private Institutions

If all public colleges and universities are made tuition-free, we could see the decline of private vs. public schools. Since these schools rely on tuition, endowments, and alumni donations for a good portion of their funding, competing with free public schools could force many private schools to close. This would reduce the amounts of job opportunities for professors and could result in the death of many fantastic programs.

As of right now, tuition is still very much a reality many college-seekers have to face. Luckily College Raptor can help you discover personalized net price estimates as well as potential financial aid packages from colleges around the country!

Apply For Grants And Scholarships

There are thousands of programs, institutions, companies and organizations that give away free money. Grants are based on need, while scholarships can be based on a number of qualifiers, including academic and athletic merit.

You can apply for grants and scholarships at the federal and school level when you complete your FAFSA. Ask your high school guidance counselor or college financial aid office if youre eligible for any local programs or apply for scholarships offered by specific colleges.

To find independent scholarships, you may also use online tools like Scholarships.com,Fastweb and the College Boards scholarship search. You can customize your search based on any number of factors, including but not limited to:

• Race.
• Religion.
• Physical disabilities.

The earlier you start your search, the more free money you could qualify for. Many grants and scholarships are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so the sooner you apply, the more money you could score.

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More People Would Go To College

As enrollment at public schools increases, so do the fees. Either more money would have to be given to the schools, or they would have to create waitlists. This means that the taxes for education-related purposes might go up, or funding for something else might be diverted to pay the influx of fees. In addition to this, the large number of graduates might oversaturate some areas of the workforce. That leaves even more people with degrees working jobs that they are overqualified for.

The State Of Free College Programs In The States

The 2008 financial crisis punctured state budgets, leading to higher tuition sticker prices at public institutions and more student debt. The rapid proliferation of college promise programs during the nations economic recovery shows one attempt by states and localities to tackle the student debt crisis and the rising cost of attendance. These programs promise a tuition-free college education to students who meet strict eligibility requirements and live in defined geographical areas. Generally implemented at the local level or the state level , promise programs receive primary funding from state or local tax revenues or endowed private funds.1 Most focus on community college students, with very few such programs funding four-year degrees . In all, there are around 300 promise programs across the country.2

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Virginia Get Skilled Get A Job Give Back

This Virginian initiative makes community colleges tuition-free for low and middle-income students pursuing degrees in high-demand fields, such as health care, information technology, and computer science.

Students who qualify for a Pell Grant can receive student-support incentive grants amounting to $900 per semester and $450 per summer term.

Eligibility Criteria

Initial eligibility for the program will be determined through the submission of federal and state student financial aid applications, including FAFSA. Each participating institution will have more specific information on how to apply for the program.

Washington College Bound Scholarship Washington And The Seattle Promise

Washington has two main free community college initiatives.

The College Bound Scholarship is a last-dollar scholarship that covers tuition, some fees, and a small book allowance. Students in 7th or 8th grade from low-income families can apply.

Meanwhile, the Seattle Promise is a last-dollar program that allows graduates of local public schools to apply for a tuition scholarship that covers any remaining tuition balance for up to two years at any public Seattle college. If low-income students still need financial support for expenses beyond tuition, such as books, meals, or room and board, they can apply for the Seattle Promise Equity Scholarship.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the College Bound Scholarship Washington, students must meet the FAFSA income eligibility criteria.

Seattle Promise scholars are required to have good academic standing, a stellar attendance record, and must meet with their advisor each quarter to remain qualified.

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Pro : Free College Would Expand Access To Education

Okay, this one is a little obvious, but offering free college tuition would make it possible for more people to pursue higher education. The bright young people who currently skip college because they cant afford it would have the opportunity to get a degree and get better jobs. The high cost of a degree would no longer be an obstacle. For many proponents of free college, its a question of fairness. They say that access to a bachelors degree should be accessible to everyone, especially because a B.A. or B.S. is increasingly necessary to get a good job.

Ernest Ezeugo Former Policy Director The National Campus Leadership Council Board Member The Campaign For Free College Tuition

Ernest Ezeugo is a policy analyst and government affairs consultant specializing in higher education. He was recently the policy director at the National Campus Leadership Council , where he directed the organization’s policy analysis and advocacy work. There, he also managed the Student Policy Alliance project, an infrastructure building effort to elevate student voice in higher education policy, partnering with student-led advocacy organizations across the nation.

Prior to joining NCLC, Ernest worked with the Education Policy program at New America. There, he supported research projects on topics involving equity, outcomes, the ethics of predictive analytics in higher education, public opinion of higher education, and higher educations role in economic mobility. Additionally, he worked at the U.S. Department of Education, where he supported the Obama administration’s educational technology efforts.

Ernest is also a contributing writer at Forbes, where he writes about higher education in America. He has other bylines in Slate, the Hechinger Report, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, and EdSurge.

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Where Will The Money Come From

Since nothing is ever really free, many people ask us this question. States such as Tennessee and Oregon, which have made their community colleges tuition free, found the money for these programs by making it a priority in their state budgeting process. Any state could do the same. Over three dozen communities have also made college tuition free by instituting Promise Programs, which offer, in effect, place-based college scholarships for their residents. Funds for these types of programs have come from a combination of private philanthropy and community commitments. Other innovative ideas include leveraging the purchasing power of local government agencies using the Community Link Foundations procurement model, tapping private investment funds through social impact bonds, or involving local employers to support associate degree programs that produce the skilled workers those employers need. While none of these sources depend on federal government revenue, many of them make maximum use of existing student aid programs such as Pell Grants to help fund their promise.

Students Will Still Have To Borrow Some Money For Their Living Expenses So It Will Not Be Completely Free Anyway

In Canada, while college is not free, they pay significantly lower tuition and fees to attend college.

Some students still have to borrow money for college and graduate with an average debt of $10,000 at the bachelors level a third of what US college graduates owe on average.

So even if students will in fact borrow some money, adopting a form of free education policy will significantly reduce the amount US students have to borrow.

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What The Free College Debate Means For Students

With Congress focused on other priorities, a nationwide free college program is unlikely to happen anytime soon. However, some states and municipalities offer free tuition programs, so students may be able to access some form of free college, depending on where they live. A good resource is the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Educations searchable database of Promise Programs, which lists more than 120 free community college programs, though the majority are limited to California residents.

In the meantime, school leaders and policymakers may shift their focus to other access and equity interventions for low-income students. For example, higher education experts Eileen Strempel and Stephen Handel published a book in 2021 titled “Beyond Free College: Making Higher Education Work for 21st Century Students.” The book argues in part that policymakers should focus more strongly on college completion, not just college access. “There hasn’t been enough laser-focus on how we actually get people to complete their degrees,” noted Strempel in an interview with The Balance.

Tax Wall Street Gambling To Cancel All Student Debt And Pay For College For All

We can guarantee higher education as a right for all and cancel all student debt for an estimated $2.2 trillion. To pay for this, we will impose a tax of a fraction of a percent on Wall Street speculators who nearly destroyed the economy a decade ago. This Wall Street speculation tax will raise $2.4 trillion over the next ten years. It works by placing a 0.5 percent tax on stock trades 50 cents on every $100 of stock a 0.1 percent fee on bond trades, and a 0.005 percent fee on derivative trades.

If Wall Street can be bailed out for several trillion dollars, 45 million Americans can and will be bailed out of the $1.6 trillion burden of student loan debt and we can provide free college for all. Some 40 countries throughout the world have imposed a similar tax, including Britain, South Korea, Hong Kong, Brazil, Germany, France, Switzerland and China.

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Krissy Dealejandro Executive Director Tnachieves Board Member The Campaign For Free College Tuition

Krissy DeAlejandro is the Executive Director of tnAchieves, a scholarship and mentoring program that supports students as they transition from high school through post-secondary. Launched in 2008, tnAchieves currently serves as the partnering organization for Governor Haslams Tennessee Promise. Since inception, tnAchieves has worked with nearly 320,000 students and boasts college retention and graduation rates above both state and national averages. The program is also responsible for annually recruiting, training and retaining more than 7,500 volunteer mentors to work with its students as the overwhelming majority are the first in their families to attend college. As the leader of the largest college access and success nonprofit in the country, Krissy is deeply committed to increasing the number of Tennessee students with a degree.

Prior to her work with tnAchieves, Krissy served as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Knox County Mayor where she focused on workforce development and higher education initiatives.

Raised in a small town in rural Tennessee, Krissy is first in her family to attend college. She received her bachelors degree from Sewanee: University of the South. She pursued her masters degree and doctorate at the University of Tennessee where she also began teaching at age 24.

Younger Generations Wont Know How To Handle Finances

College is full of learning experiences, one of which is learning how to create a budget to save money. College loans are often the first major financial dealing that people work with. Paying them off in a timely manner proves you know how to budget your money, skills people use again and again when buying cars or houses. Without having to pay for school, that experience wont exist. That might be trouble down the road for buying that house or car.

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Choose A School That Pays You

Some schools will pay you to focus your studies on a single subject, which they dictate. Schools such as the Webb Institute and the Curtis Institute of Music offer a select range of academic programs and pick up the tuition cost for every student.

However, its important to think through the decision before you commit to this course. You dont want to get caught up in taking free college courses, then graduate from such a program and realize that youre not interested in pursuing a career in what youve just studied.

The Lack Of Free Education Hasnt Impeded Efforts In The Us To Create An Innovative Workforce

Another argument that people bring up is that the lack of free college education has not prevented the US from becoming one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world.

After all, Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates hardly finished college and they became sensations.

While this is true, the fact is that Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates are outliers when it comes to this particular argument. They both came from well-off families and had opportunities in their younger years that most children never get.

While the mainstream media portrays their success as accidental, it hardly is.

However, if even in the absence of free college education we have managed to be this innovative as a country, free college education could open up even more of these opportunities for intelligent students who want to go to college but cannot afford it.

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Look Into Grants And Scholarships

Getting paid to go to school is only one of many options out there for those looking to go to college for free. There are also numerous grants and scholarships available for students in need. You are best off searching and applying for as many as you can. They generally dont cost anything to apply, and the more times you try, the better your chances are!

Its important to note that once you are already enrolled in a college program its generally easier to apply for grants and scholarships. Many businesses and philanthropists have made donations to colleges in order to offer more scholarships for minorities, low-income workers and single parents. A scholarship is an incredible gift that allows deserving students to go to college for free.

Community College May Not Be The Best Path For All Students

Some critics also worry that all students will be encouraged to attend community college when some would have been better off at a four-year institution. Four-year colleges tend to have more resources than community colleges and so can offer more support to high-need students.

In addition, some research has shown that students at community colleges are less likely to be academically successful than students at four-year colleges, said Dimino. “Statistically, the data show that there are poorer outcomes for students at community colleges such as lower graduation rates and sometimes low transfer rates from two- to four-year schools.”

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Morley Winograd Partner Mike & Morley Llcpresident The Campaign For Free College Tuition

Morley Winograd is a nationally known expert on the Millennial generation. He is co-author of three highly acclaimed books, Millennial Momentum , Millennial Makeover , and Millennial Majority on the impact the generation will have on Americas future. Morley is also a Senior Fellow at the University of Southern Californias Annenberg Schools Center on Communication Leadership and Policy. He served as senior policy advisor to Vice President Al Gore during the second term of the Clinton administration and directed its reinventing government efforts.

How To Make College More Affordable

When Michelle Nielsen, 46, decided to return to school at Houston Community College to become a pastry chef, she quickly discovered that she had no room in her budget for food. Even with financial aid covering her tuition and a work-study program to help with rent, Nielsen knew she wouldnt be able to get by without extra help.

Nielsen swallowed her pride and accepted help in the form of a food scholarship offered by her school that distributes food to students twice a month.

It took me awhile to say, you know what, you need the help, Nielsen said. Having to work on an empty stomach is a distraction, she said.

Her food scholarship has eliminated the stress of finding ways to pay for food each month. Now, Nielsen can focus on learning how to pay for food as a chef.

Many schools across the country are implementing free tuition programs to alleviate students financial burden, but researchers have realized that college affordability means much more than tuition costs. Living costs are needed, too. While big-ticket items such as free tuition are often touted as a solution to students financial woes, longer-lasting impact may come from smaller steps that schools and even students are taking.

While free tuition has motivated more low-income students to consider higher education, it still isnt truly affordable.

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