When I hear people attack tuition-free college for the United States, the arguments generally come from the vantage point of avoiding entitlement, citing cost, or an attitude of "Well, I got through it so why can't you?" Well, I am going to destroy those narratives.
In my life, I have experienced life in a military family, took place in one of the first US free-college experiments, and earned a full scholarship by merit while working on the side. I should in theory be the poster boy for the traditional method, instead I am its harshest critic.
I grew up in a 3rd generation military family, my dad being an Air Force veteran and my mom born in Japan from the Air Force base where her parents met. Military Service is the way my father and countless others put themselves through college so why do others who have not served deserve to have that opportunity? The answer comes down to what education is fundamentally and that is a human right. The problem is not that we have entitled teens lining up for freebies, but an outdated system of social thought by which we have prioritized education as a privilege for the rich, the military minded, or the lucky. Our veterans should be entitled to further access to basic healthcare and added benefits elsewhere, but military service should not be a prerequisite to education.
When it came time for me to go to college, I took advantage of the Tennessee Promise, a free community college program. After two years, I earned a full ride for my final two years at a 4-year institution. So, if I earned my way to an education, shouldn't I believe that others need to do that as well? No, first off many do not have access to the free community college offer that I received. I am also a White, middle class raised, male, with access to many resources others do not. Yet, I am also gay and have family circumstances that have inhibited me greatly (my HS grades would have kept me from a significant merit scholarship.) Therefore, I understand that giving all people the chance to succeed by providing education is the fairest way to move forward. If someone can't make it in college, then they simply won't, but at least they can have the opportunity. I would rather someone have the chance and fail then for someone to have the ability and not have the chance to use it.
Education is a Right
Why should education be classified as a right? It is a fair question and one that many politicians have questioned often countering with "a right to affordable college." One of the primary reasons education should be classified as a right is its necessity in American society. 50 years ago, College could be considered an optional investment that may have provided better job opportunities. In today's United States, roughly 64% of jobs require some college education. By 2030, that number is expected to rise to over 70%. The baseline education for most jobs has changed from a high school diploma to a college degree and with it so must the US education system.
The second reason? Equity. Affirmative Action, Federal Aid by income, and merit scholarships are making the college dream a fairer playing field right? Yes, but not anywhere near enough. Affirmative Action does benefit some minorities with being better represented, but it leaves others out. Federal Aid is calculated by parental income, but parent income is a weak indicator of contribution with many middle class students often having little to no aid or parental help. Merit Scholarships often can't account for extenuating circumstances such as the lack of resources in poor areas affecting grade outcomes. A tuition-free system gives everyone the chance to go to college, while grades can then be considered more strongly as a basis for where an individual may attend. Hence, Top-Tier Colleges can choose students based more on academic achievement rather than go down the list after students who can't decline the offer.
Leveraging Tuition Increases
"I got through college, so why can't this generation do it too? They just feel enititled."
College tuition has increased at nearly 5x the CPI inflation rate since 1985 per Eric Zorn at the Chicago Tribune. So while College has become exponentially more important in obtaining a quality job, it has concurrently become far more expensive to obtain. What would tuition-free college do to alleviate these outrageous increases? Well, it all comes down to who pays for the costs. Depending on the model, that cost will be applied to the federal government or the states. Either way, that means colleges will have to approve their tuition increases ultimately with the entities that will pay the bill (barring private colleges which would likely be exempt). The federal or state government will then be more likely to pass tuition freezes or negotiate down prices to help alleviate their own costs.
How Do We Pay For It?
No question annoys me more than "How do we pay for it?" Not because it is an unfair question, but rather because it is a question that is very easily answered and yet it is used as a political retort. The estimated yearly cost for free education is 50 Billion Dollars. So, where does that money come from? Take your pick from these 3 (there are a lot more as well):
1. Place a speculative tax on Wall Street: The Sanders Plan would raise the money by taxing speculation on Wall Street. This was a practice that the US utilized until 1966 and a reinstatement would pay for college for all. Is it that easy? Yes.
2. Cut a bloated defense budget: The US spent 593 Billion on defense in 2016. Donald Trump plans to up that to roughly 650 Billion. If we cut it back to 2016 levels, we would have more than enough to fund free education. And if you were worried about another country catching up in Defense? We could cut our budget by 400 billion and still be the leading spender. That is enough to fund free college yearly 8 times over. Is it that easy? Yes.
3. Raise Taxes on Top Earners: "If we lower taxes on the rich, then more jobs get created for the middle and lower class." Nope. Trickle-Down has failed at every turn. In the 1950's and 1960's the Highest Earners paid over 90%. In 1980, 60%. So can we raise taxes marginally from the 43% they stand now? With income inequality skyrocketing, the answer is an unequivocal yes.
If you read this article as someone who opposed the free tuition plan, I state these facts in hopes of changing your mind, but I do not need to rely on that. Public opinion has been consistently rising in favor of the idea and within 10 to 20 years, I have no doubt it will be a reality. What I hope you can take away is this, I am not some entitled teenager asking for a handout. I am a scholar who has earned a full scholarship, who sees education as a right which is both necessary and incredibly affordable given common sense economics.
Summary
If you read this article as someone who opposed the free tuition plan, I state these facts in hopes of changing your mind, but I do not need to rely on that. Public opinion has been consistently rising in favor of the idea and within 10 to 20 years, I have no doubt it will be a reality. What I hope you can take away is this, I am not some entitled teenager asking for a handout. I am a hard-working student, who has earned a full scholarship, but who also sees education as a right for all which is both necessary and incredibly affordable given common sense economics.
