Table of Contents
What would happen to society if college was free?
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.
Would free college reduce the quality of education?
In this sense, free college could end up reducing graduation rates by negatively impacting education quality and reducing enrollment at private institutions, which tend to graduate more of their students.
How much would it cost to send everyone to college?
The cost of free college varies by the type of program
| Type of Free College Program | First-Year Cost | Total 11-year Cost |
|---|---|---|
| First-dollar tuition-free program capped at $125,000 eligibility | $50 billion | $683 billion |
| First-dollar tuition-free program | $58 billion | $800 billion |
| Debt-free program | $75 billion | NA |
How would free college improve society?
Free college tuition programs have proved effective in helping mitigate the system’s current inequities by increasing college enrollment, lowering dependence on student loan debt and improving completion rates, especially among students of color and lower-income students who are often the first in their family to …
How does free college benefit society?
Free college education may have a large short-run cost, but it will provide significant benefits in the long run. Policies that increase college attainment can pay for themselves because college graduates have been proven to earn higher wages, and, therefore, have the capacity to pay higher taxes (Deming, 2019).
What are the benefits of free college?
Advantages of Free College Education
- Better access to education.
- More kids from poor families could attend college.
- Better average education levels.
- Free college education may lower the wage gap.
- Lower unemployment rates.
- Higher average salaries.
- Overall GDP may increase.
- Higher tax revenue.