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Why Education Should Be Free: Exploring the Benefits for a Progressive Society

Written by Dan

Last updated February 13, 2024

The question of whether education, particularly higher education, should be free is a continuing debate marked by a multitude of opinions and perspectives.

Education stands as one of the most powerful tools for personal and societal advancement, and making it accessible to all could have profound impacts on a nation’s economic growth and social fabric.

Proponents of tuition-free education argue that it could create a better-educated workforce, improve the livelihoods of individuals, and contribute to overall economic prosperity.

However, the implementation of such a system carries complexity and considerations that spark considerable discourse among policymakers, educators, and the public.

Related : For more, check out our article on  The #1 Problem In Education  here.

Within the debate on free education lies a range of considerations, including the significant economic benefits it might confer.

A well-educated populace can be the driving force behind innovation, entrepreneurship, and a competitive global stance, according to research.

Moreover, social and cultural benefits are also cited by advocates, who see free higher education as a stepping stone towards greater societal well-being and equality.

Nevertheless, the challenges in implementing free higher education often center around fiscal sustainability, the potential for increased taxes, and the restructuring of existing educational frameworks.

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

• Free higher education could serve as a critical driver of economic growth and innovation.
• It may contribute to social equality and cultural enrichment across communities.
• Implementation of tuition-free higher education requires careful consideration of economic and structural challenges.

Related : For more, check out our article on  AI In Education  here.

The Economic Benefits of Free Education

Free education carries the potential for significant economic impact, notably by fostering a more qualified workforce and alleviating financial strains associated with higher education.

Boosting the Workforce with Skilled Workers

Free education initiatives can lead to a rise in college enrollment and graduation rates, as seen in various studies and practical implementations.

This translates into a larger pool of skilled workers entering the workforce, which is critical for the sustained growth of the economy. With more educated individuals, industries can innovate faster and remain competitive on a global scale.

The subsequent increase in productivity and creative problem-solving bolsters the country’s economic profile.

Reducing Student Loan Debt and Financial Insecurity

One of the most immediate effects of tuition-free education is the reduction of student loan debt . Students who graduate without the burden of debt have more financial freedom and security, enabling them to contribute economically through higher consumer spending and investments.

This financial relief also means that graduates can potentially enter the housing market earlier and save for retirement, both of which are beneficial for long-term economic stability.

Reducing this financial insecurity not only benefits individual lives but also creates a positive ripple effect throughout the economy.

Related : For more, check out our article on  Teaching For Understanding  here.

Social and Cultural Impacts

Free education stands as a cornerstone for a more equitable society, providing a foundation for individuals to reach their full potential without the barrier of cost.

It fosters an inclusive culture where access to knowledge and the ability to contribute meaningfully to society are viewed as inalienable rights.

Creating Equality and Expanding Choices

Free education mitigates the socioeconomic disparities that often dictate the quality and level of education one can attain.

When tuition fees are eliminated, individuals from lower-income families are afforded the same educational opportunities as their wealthier counterparts, leading to a more level playing field .

Expanding educational access enables all members of society to pursue a wider array of careers and life paths, broadening personal choices and promoting a diverse workforce.

Free Education as a Human Right

Recognizing education as a human right underpins the movement for free education. Human Rights Watch emphasizes that all children should have access to a quality, inclusive, and free education.

This aligns with international agreements and the belief that education is not a privilege but a right that should be safeguarded for all, regardless of one’s socioeconomic status.

Redistributions within society can function to finance the institutions necessary to uphold this right, leading to long-term cultural and social benefits.

Challenges and Considerations for Implementation

Implementing free education systems presents a complex interplay of economic and academic factors. Policymakers must confront these critical issues to develop sustainable and effective programs.

Balancing Funding and Taxpayer Impact

Funding for free education programs primarily depends on the allocation of government resources, which often requires tax adjustments .

Legislators need to strike a balance between providing sufficient funding for education and maintaining a level of taxation that does not overburden the taxpayers .

Studies like those from The Balance provide insight into the economic implications, indicating a need for careful analysis to avoid unintended financial consequences.

Ensuring Quality in Free Higher Education Programs

Merit and quality assurance become paramount in free college programs to ensure that the value of education does not diminish. Programs need structured oversight and performance metrics to maintain high academic standards.

Free college systems, by extending access, may risk over-enrollment, which can strain resources and reduce educational quality if not managed correctly.

Global Perspectives and Trends in Free Education

In the realm of education, several countries have adopted policies to make learning accessible at no cost to the student. These efforts often aim to enhance social mobility and create a more educated workforce.

Case Studies: Argentina and Sweden

Argentina has long upheld the principle of free university education for its citizens. Public universities in Argentina do not charge tuition fees for undergraduate courses, emphasizing the country’s commitment to accessible education.

This policy supports a key tenet of social justice, allowing a wide range of individuals to pursue higher education regardless of their financial situation.

In comparison, Sweden represents a prime example of advanced free education within Europe. Swedish universities offer free education not only to Swedish students but also to those from other countries within the European Union (EU).

For Swedes, this extends to include secondary education, which is also offered at no cost. Sweden’s approach exemplifies a commitment to educational equality and a well-informed citizenry.

International Approaches to Tuition-Free College

Examining the broader international landscape , there are diverse approaches to implementing tuition-free higher education.

For instance, some European countries like Spain have not entirely eliminated tuition fees but have kept them relatively low compared to the global average. These measures still align with the overarching goal of making education more accessible.

In contrast, there have been discussions and proposals in the United States about adopting tuition-free college programs, reflecting a growing global trend.

While the United States has not federally mandated free college education, there are initiatives, such as the Promise Programs, that offer tuition-free community college to eligible students in certain states, showcasing a step towards more inclusive educational opportunities.

Policy and Politics of Tuition-Free Education

The debate surrounding tuition-free education encompasses a complex interplay of bipartisan support and legislative efforts, with community colleges frequently at the policy’s epicenter.

Both ideological and financial considerations shape the trajectory of higher education policy in this context.

Bipartisan Support and Political Challenges

Bipartisan support for tuition-free education emerges from a recognition of community colleges as vital access points for higher education, particularly for lower-income families.

Initiatives such as the College Promise campaign reflect this shared commitment to removing economic barriers to education. However, political challenges persist, with Republicans often skeptical about the long-term feasibility and impact on the federal budget.

Such divisions underscore the politicized nature of the education discourse, situating it as a central issue in policy-making endeavors.

Legislative Framework and Higher Education Policy

The legislative framework for tuition-free education gained momentum under President Biden with the introduction of the American Families Plan .

This plan proposed substantial investments in higher education, particularly aimed at bolstering the role of community colleges. Central to this policy is the pledge to cover up to two years of tuition for eligible students.

The proposal reflects a significant step in reimagining higher education policy, though it requires navigating the intricacies of legislative procedures and fiscally conservative opposition to translate into actionable policy.

Frequently Asked Questions

This section addresses common queries regarding the prospect of free college education, its impact, and practical considerations for implementation.

What are the most compelling arguments for making college education free?

The most compelling arguments for tuition-free college highlight the removal of financial barriers, potential to increase social mobility, and a long-term investment in a more educated workforce , which can lead to economic growth.

How could the government implement free education policies without sacrificing quality?

To implement free education without compromising quality, governments need to ensure sustainable funding, invest in faculty, and enable effective administration. Such measures aim to maintain high standards while extending access.

In countries with free college education, what has been the impact on their economies and societies?

Countries with free college education have observed various impacts, including a more educated populace , increased rates of innovation, and in some instances, stronger economic growth due to a skilled workforce.

How does free education affect the accessibility and inclusivity of higher education?

Free education enhances accessibility and inclusivity by leveling the educational playing field, allowing students from all socioeconomic backgrounds to pursue higher education regardless of their financial capability.

What potential downsides exist to providing free college education to all students?

Potential downsides include the strain on governmental budgets, the risk of oversaturating certain job markets, and the possibility that the value of a degree may diminish if too many people obtain one without a corresponding increase in jobs requiring higher education.

How might free education be funded, and what are the financial implications for taxpayers?

Free education would likely be funded through taxation, and its financial implications for taxpayers could range from increased taxes to reprioritization of existing budget funds. The scale of any potential tax increase would depend on the cost of the education programs and the economic benefits they’re anticipated to produce.

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About The Author

I'm Dan Higgins, one of the faces behind The Teaching Couple. With 15 years in the education sector and a decade as a teacher, I've witnessed the highs and lows of school life. Over the years, my passion for supporting fellow teachers and making school more bearable has grown. The Teaching Couple is my platform to share strategies, tips, and insights from my journey. Together, we can shape a better school experience for all.

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Education Should be Free Essay | Essay on Education Should be Free for Students and Children

February 13, 2024 by Prasanna

Essay on Education Should be Free:  Education can be an effective weapon for the people, but nowadays, it is mostly governed by corruption. To improve the development of a country, all the citizens of that country should be educated. Still, in many circumstances, they are not able to achieve it due to financial differences.

If education is made free, then the country will start developing the country, which will lead the country in the right direction. Education should be accessible to everyone because an educated citizen acts as a more productive citizen. Nearly every country in the developed world provides free primary and secondary education to its citizens.

You can also find more  Essay Writing  articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

Long and Short Essays on Education Should be Free for Students and Kids in English

We provide the students with essay samples on an extended essay of 500 words and a short essay of 150 words on this topic.

Long Essay on Education Should be Free 500 Words in English

Long Essay on Education Should be Free is usually given to classes 7, 8, 9, and 10.

Education becomes crucial for anyone to survive their academic, social, and political career. Education worldwide requires a lot of money, but it should not be monopolized so that the entire globe can move at the same pace, solving problems like world poverty or world starvation. Otherwise, the world’s future will inevitably go nowhere, unable to make its talent any harder. At least, with more knowledge, you stand a chance against the crowd and easily face significant obstacles in the world today.

In today’s society, education plays an even more critical role in developing our world. Nowadays, students pay money to study and learn to be part of the Institute. Unfortunately, not every student can do so, for most of them do not have strong financial support to both enter the schools they want and continue their future studies. When it comes to education, learning should be free from all charges for everyone.

First, free education encourages students to do better. When a student is relieved from the education charges, he thoroughly appreciates that he no longer has to think about it again. Therefore, he, too, tries to study better as a way of appreciating this opportunity. Second, students are not the only ones who develop here, even society too. By offering students the opportunity to continue their studies, society will gain a reliable, productive workforce to improve results. Generally, statistics show that the countries that support their students’ education are the most advanced ones in innovation and creativity.

Sometimes free education may lead to having the opposite results on students. With everything being easy, students would not find it difficult to give up their schools and studies because they didn’t earn it in the first place. Students usually value the worth of things based on their difficulty, and offering them this chance will only cause them to waste it. Free education can degrade the quality of teaching too. Most schools today tend to rely on students’ fees to improve the school’s facilities and material. However, without that, schools will not be able to move forward and stop progressing since it will only depend on the money it receives from the government.

In conclusion, education should stay equally available to everyone, regardless of their income. This is fair, but this will also make sure that countries can prosper and develop into future evolution with a well-educated workforce.

Read More: Education Should Be Free Essay

Short Essay on Education Should be Free 150 Words in English

Short Essay on Education Should be Free is usually given to classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

A child should get an education to increase the fundamental knowledge that develops their social awareness, better decision-making skills, and increased work competency, thus making oneself a better citizen. Today, most of the jobs around the globe require candidates who are well-qualified in education.

Every society in the world has citizens of different economic sectors. Those from low economic backgrounds may not be able to support education for their children, so they send them for labour to support their lives. Today, governments worldwide have accepted that child labour is wrong, and it is the right of every child to get educated. To solve these issues, the government should deliberately offer free education to children, thus supporting children belonging to low-income families and preventing child labour.

10 Lines on Education Should be Free in English

• Guaranteed Education: Free education is crucial because it guarantees an equal education level for every student in the country. This means that every student will have an equal opportunity to reach an equal level of education.
• Safe Life: Education is a crucial key to live a safe life. For example, when a student is educated compared to a non-educated student, it is easier to succeed in the future.
• Better outlook on life: Education gives the students the ability to think positively and have a more positive attitude towards life and goals. Free education guarantees that the outlook of life for most of the students will be the same.
• Increased employment: Free education means that most students will have access to education and increase their employment opportunities.
• Creates equality: Free education means that any student from where they come will be able to use the same quality of education as every other student. It plays a vital role in building equality among the students in the school.
• Promotes fairness: Free education plays a vital role in promoting fairness in schools and societies. This is because all children are guaranteed access to the same quality of education.
• Density in the classroom: Free education somehow promotes an increased number of learners in the classroom. This is because students do not have to worry about their next school or tuition fees. Instead, they will stay more focused on their education.
• Student-loan loans: Students do not have to worry about their college fees by getting student loans in university to facilitate their education altogether. This ensures that students remain in a debt-free situation.
• Open Access to College: Free education plays a vital role as it opens access to a college education. All children will be guaranteed a degree of education until they go for higher studies.
• Students can pursue their interests: Free education allows the student with flexibility in their choices in pursuing their desired career.

FAQ’s on Education Should be Free Essay

Question 1. Why should education be free for all?

Answer: Free education guarantees that the overview of the life of all children will be the same. Candidates will experience increased employment: Free education means that most students will have access to education and increase their chances of getting employment.

Question 2. Why is education so important?

Answer: Education helps people become better citizens, get a better-paid job, and shows the difference between good and evil. Education also shows us the importance of hard work and, at the same time, helps us grow and develop internally as well as socially. Thus, we can create a better society to live in by understanding and respecting laws and regulations.

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Essay on Education Should Be Free

Students are often asked to write an essay on Education Should Be Free in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Education Should Be Free

Introduction.

Education is a fundamental right for everyone. It shapes our future, helps us develop skills, and broadens our perspectives. Therefore, education should be free for all.

The Importance of Free Education

Free education ensures everyone gets a fair chance to learn. It reduces inequality as it’s accessible to all, regardless of financial status.

Benefits to Society

A society with educated individuals thrives better. They contribute to the economy, innovation, and progress. Free education can fuel this growth.

In conclusion, free education is a powerful tool for societal progress and individual growth. It should be a priority for all nations.

250 Words Essay on Education Should Be Free

The concept of free education, economic perspectives.

From an economic viewpoint, free education can be seen as an investment in human capital. It could potentially stimulate economic growth by creating a more educated, skilled workforce. Additionally, it can help reduce the socioeconomic gap, enabling individuals from all backgrounds to secure better employment opportunities and contribute more effectively to the economy.

Societal Implications

On a societal level, free education can foster equality, inclusivity, and social mobility. It provides everyone, irrespective of their financial status, with equal opportunities to learn, grow, and advance. Moreover, it has the potential to mitigate social issues such as crime and poverty, which are often linked to educational inequality.

Potential Challenges

However, implementing free education presents its own set of challenges. It requires significant public funding, which could strain national budgets. Furthermore, it necessitates careful planning and execution to ensure quality and efficiency are not compromised.

In conclusion, while free education is an ideal worth striving for, it demands careful consideration of its economic implications and potential societal impacts. A balanced approach, considering both the benefits and challenges, is crucial for its successful implementation.

500 Words Essay on Education Should Be Free

The essence of free education.

Education is a fundamental human right, a path to personal growth, and a stepping stone towards societal development. It is the key to creating, applying, and disseminating knowledge, thereby contributing to the cultural, social, and economic advancement of a society. The proposition of free education, however, is a contentious one, sparking debates globally.

The Social Perspective

Economic implications.

From an economic standpoint, free education can be a significant investment in human capital. Education is directly linked to economic growth – a more educated workforce tends to be more productive, innovative, and capable of adapting to new technologies and challenges. Free education can lead to a larger, more skilled labor pool, potentially boosting economic productivity and competitiveness.

The Question of Quality

However, a significant concern is the potential compromise on the quality of education. With no tuition fees, the financial resources available to educational institutions may be limited, potentially affecting the quality of education. To counter this, governments can explore alternative funding mechanisms, such as progressive taxation. Additionally, investment in education should not be viewed as a cost but as a long-term investment that will yield substantial societal returns.

The Role of Digital Technology

Conclusion: a paradigm shift.

In conclusion, making education free is not just about removing financial barriers; it’s about a paradigm shift in how we view education. It’s about recognizing education as a public good, a collective responsibility, and a cornerstone of a fair society. It’s about investing in our future, knowing that the returns – a more equitable society, a more robust economy, and a more informed citizenry – are well worth it.

While the road to free education is fraught with challenges, the potential benefits to society are immense. It is an idea worth exploring, debating, and, if possible, implementing. The journey may be long and arduous, but the destination – a world where every individual has an equal chance to learn and grow – is a vision worth striving for.

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Education Should Be Free for Everyone

In my argumentative essay, I discuss the ethical side of having a free education system. I discuss the positive sides and the negative sides of free education, and I focus mostly on having free higher education since we already have free education up to High School graduation levels. I conclude with a discussion about the actions of colleges and Universities and how they would inevitably make the ethical discussion mute from a student’s perceptive since the burden of ethics would fall upon higher education institutions in a world where they are given plenty of incentive to act immorally.

From an ethical perspective, it seems unfair that people who have less money are going to miss more opportunities. Ethically, opportunities should be open for all people. Though it may be true that the availability of an opportunity shouldn’t guarantee that a person receives that opportunity, the opportunity shouldn’t be ruled out. For example, all people should be able to become qualified to work in air traffic control, and even though a blind person is hardly guaranteed such a job position, the opportunity shouldn’t be ruled out as a default. Free education, especially free higher education, may open up a series of opportunities that some people would otherwise be unable to enjoy, and even if those opportunities are not guaranteed, they shouldn’t be ruled out by default, which is what happens when some people cannot use higher education for financial reasons. (Flood, 2014)

Some people are going to use free education as a way of getting out of work and as a way of doing nothing with their lives. Students up to the final year in High School are unable to get full-time jobs and live independently on their wages, which is why their education should be free. However, when a person is able to get a full-time job and live independently, he or she may get out of working by living on the education system. Even if the qualifications are free and not the living expenses, a person may still claim a slew of benefits and receive no incentive to ever get a job because he or she remains in the education system for years and years. (Gritz, 2010)

If all forms of education are free for students, then it becomes very easy for a person to waste his or her life on meaningless education. The decision to get into thousands upon thousands of dollars of debt in order to pursue a career should be agonizing and very difficult so as to make the student think long and hard about the decision. If all education is free, then less thought is required, and students may waste years of their life studying for qualifications that they do not need or even want. (Kamenetz, 2016)

If a student is genuinely looking for higher education and is not looking for a reason to do nothing and mess around for years by exploiting other people’s tax money through free education, then such a person may enjoy a longer education process. For example, a student taking a series of law qualifications is going to need five to seven years of education, which is also very expensive. If the cost of the qualification were removed, such a person may be able to take up jobs on an intermittent basis, stretch out his or her qualification duration, and take longer to gain said qualifications in a more comfortable manner. Instead of having to spend years as a low-income student while building debt, such a student may spend longer on a qualification and work while studying so that he or she may enjoy a more comfortable education experience. Plus, all of this would occur who the pressure of accumulating student debt. (The Leadership Institute, 2018)

Despite the ethical upsides and downsides that come with free education for students, it is sadly the Universities and colleges that will spoil it. These days, student loans are very easy to get, and this has resulted in colleges and Universities putting their prices up to almost scandalous levels, and it has resulted in colleges and Universities creating courses that add no real value for people wishing to join the workforce. If colleges and Universities were being fully funded by tax dollars, they would encourage students to join with a whole host of silly and frivolous programs because the quality of education would no longer matter or apply. (Fox, 2006).

Bibliography

Flood, Alison. “US students request ‘trigger warnings’ on literature.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 19 May 2014, www.theguardian.com/books/2014/may/19/us-students-request-trigger-warnings-in-literature.

Fox News, http://www.foxnews.com/story/2006/09/01/why-does-college-cost-so-much-and-is-it-worth-it.html 2006

Gritz, Jennie Rothenberg. “What’s Wrong with the American University System.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 28 July 2010, www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2010/07/whats-wrong-with-the-american-university-system/60458/.

Kamenetz, Anya. “How College Aid Is Like A Bad Coupon.” NPR, NPR, 17 Sept. 2016, www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/09/17/492973995/how-college-aid-is-like-a-bad-coupon.

The Leadership Institute. “Why are colleges so liberal?” Leadership Institute, www.leadershipinstitute.org/crazycolleges/. 2018

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Should College Be Free? The Pros and Cons

Types of Publicly Funded College Tuition Programs

Pros: why college should be free, cons: why college should not be free, what the free college debate means for students, how to cut your college costs now, frequently asked questions (faqs).

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Americans have been debating the wisdom of free college for decades, and more than 30 states now offer some type of free college program. But it wasn't until 2021 that a nationwide free college program came close to becoming reality, re-energizing a longstanding debate over whether or not free college is a good idea. 

And despite a setback for the free-college advocates, the idea is still in play. The Biden administration's free community college proposal was scrapped from the American Families Plan . But close observers say that similar proposals promoting free community college have drawn solid bipartisan support in the past. "Community colleges are one of the relatively few areas where there's support from both Republicans and Democrats," said Tulane economics professor Douglas N. Harris, who has previously consulted with the Biden administration on free college, in an interview with The Balance. 

To get a sense of the various arguments for and against free college, as well as the potential impacts on U.S. students and taxpayers, The Balance combed through studies investigating the design and implementation of publicly funded free tuition programs and spoke with several higher education policy experts. Here's what we learned about the current debate over free college in the U.S.—and more about how you can cut your college costs or even get free tuition through existing programs.

Key Takeaways

• Research shows free tuition programs encourage more students to attend college and increase graduation rates, which creates a better-educated workforce and higher-earning consumers who can help boost the economy. 
• Some programs are criticized for not paying students’ non-tuition expenses, not benefiting students who need assistance most, or steering students toward community college instead of four-year programs.  
• If you want to find out about free programs in your area, the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education has a searchable database. You’ll find the link further down in this article. 

Before diving into the weeds of the free college debate, it's important to note that not all free college programs are alike. Most publicly funded tuition assistance programs are restricted to the first two years of study, typically at community colleges. Free college programs also vary widely in the ways they’re designed, funded, and structured:

• Last-dollar tuition-free programs : These programs cover any remaining tuition after a student has used up other financial aid , such as Pell Grants. Most state-run free college programs fall into this category. However, these programs don’t typically help with room and board or other expenses.
• First-dollar tuition-free programs : These programs pay for students' tuition upfront, although they’re much rarer than last-dollar programs. Any remaining financial aid that a student receives can then be applied to other expenses, such as books and fees. The California College Promise Grant is a first-dollar program because it waives enrollment fees for eligible students.
• Debt-free programs : These programs pay for all of a student's college expenses , including room and board, guaranteeing that they can graduate debt-free. But they’re also much less common, likely due to their expense.  

Proponents often argue that publicly funded college tuition programs eventually pay for themselves, in part by giving students the tools they need to find better jobs and earn higher incomes than they would with a high school education. The anticipated economic impact, they suggest, should help ease concerns about the costs of public financing education. Here’s a closer look at the arguments for free college programs.

A More Educated Workforce Benefits the Economy

Morley Winograd, President of the Campaign for Free College Tuition, points to the economic and tax benefits that result from the higher wages of college grads. "For government, it means more revenue," said Winograd in an interview with The Balance—the more a person earns, the more they will likely pay in taxes . In addition, "the country's economy gets better because the more skilled the workforce this country has, the better [it’s] able to compete globally." Similarly, local economies benefit from a more highly educated, better-paid workforce because higher earners have more to spend. "That's how the economy grows," Winograd explained, “by increasing disposable income."

According to Harris, the return on a government’s investment in free college can be substantial. "The additional finding of our analysis was that these things seem to consistently pass a cost-benefit analysis," he said. "The benefits seem to be at least double the cost in the long run when we look at the increased college attainment and the earnings that go along with that, relative to the cost and the additional funding and resources that go into them." 

Free College Programs Encourage More Students to Attend

Convincing students from underprivileged backgrounds to take a chance on college can be a challenge, particularly when students are worried about overextending themselves financially. But free college programs tend to have more success in persuading students to consider going, said Winograd, in part because they address students' fears that they can't afford higher education . "People who wouldn't otherwise think that they could go to college, or who think the reason they can't is [that] it's too expensive, [will] stop, pay attention, listen, decide it's an opportunity they want to take advantage of, and enroll," he said.

According to Harris, students also appear to like the certainty and simplicity of the free college message. "They didn't want to have to worry that next year they were not going to have enough money to pay their tuition bill," he said. "They don't know what their finances are going to look like a few months down the road, let alone next year, and it takes a while to get a degree. So that matters." 

Free college programs can also help send "a clear and tangible message" to students and their families that a college education is attainable for them, said Michelle Dimino, an Education Director with Third Way. This kind of messaging is especially important to first-generation and low-income students, she said. 

Free College Increases Graduation Rates and Financial Security

Free tuition programs appear to improve students’ chances of completing college. For example, Harris noted that his research found a meaningful link between free college tuition and higher graduation rates. "What we found is that it did increase college graduation at the two-year college level, so more students graduated than otherwise would have." 

Free college tuition programs also give people a better shot at living a richer, more comfortable life, say advocates. "It's almost an economic necessity to have some college education," noted Winograd. Similar to the way a high school diploma was viewed as crucial in the 20th century, employees are now learning that they need at least two years of college to compete in a global, information-driven economy. "Free community college is a way of making that happen quickly, effectively, and essentially," he explained. 

Free community college isn’t a universally popular idea. While many critics point to the potential costs of funding such programs, others identify issues with the effectiveness and fairness of current attempts to cover students’ college tuition. Here’s a closer look at the concerns about free college programs.

It Would Be Too Expensive

The idea of free community college has come under particular fire from critics who worry about the cost of social spending. Since community colleges aren't nearly as expensive as four-year colleges—often costing thousands of dollars a year—critics argue that individuals can often cover their costs using other forms of financial aid . But, they point out, community college costs would quickly add up when paid for in bulk through a free college program: Biden’s proposed free college plan would have cost $49.6 billion in its first year, according to an analysis from Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. Some opponents argue that the funds could be put to better use in other ways, particularly by helping students complete their degrees.

Free College Isn't Really Free

One of the most consistent concerns that people have voiced about free college programs is that they don’t go far enough. Even if a program offers free tuition, students will need to find a way to pay for other college-related expenses , such as books, room and board, transportation, high-speed internet, and, potentially, child care. "Messaging is such a key part of this," said Dimino. Students "may apply or enroll in college, understanding it's going to be free, but then face other unexpected charges along the way." 

It's important for policymakers to consider these factors when designing future free college programs. Otherwise, Dimino and other observers fear that students could potentially wind up worse off if they enroll and invest in attending college and then are forced to drop out due to financial pressures. 

Free College Programs Don’t Help the Students Who Need Them Most

Critics point out that many free college programs are limited by a variety of quirks and restrictions, which can unintentionally shut out deserving students or reward wealthier ones. Most state-funded free college programs are last-dollar programs, which don’t kick in until students have applied financial aid to their tuition. That means these programs offer less support to low-income students who qualify for need-based aid—and more support for higher-income students who don’t.

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 can therefore 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." 

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 Education’s searchable database of Promise Programs , which lists more than 100 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 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. 

Rather than just improving access for low-income college students, Strempel and Handel argue that decision-makers should instead look more closely at the social and economic issues that affect students , such as food and housing insecurity, child care, transportation, and personal technology. For example, "If you don't have a computer, you don't have access to your education anymore," said Strempel. "It's like today's pencil."

Saving money on college costs can be challenging, but you can take steps to reduce your cost of living. For example, if you're interested in a college but haven't yet enrolled, pay close attention to where it's located and how much residents typically pay for major expenses, such as housing, utilities, and food. If the college is located in a high-cost area, it could be tough to justify the living expenses you'll incur. Similarly, if you plan to commute, take the time to check gas or public transportation prices and calculate how much you'll likely have to spend per month to go to and from campus several times a week. 

Now that more colleges offer classes online, it may also be worth looking at lower-cost programs in areas that are farther from where you live, particularly if they allow you to graduate without setting foot on campus. Also, check out state and federal financial aid programs that can help you slim down your expenses, or, in some cases, pay for them completely. Finally, look into need-based and merit-based grants and scholarships that can help you cover even more of your expenses. Also, consider applying to no-loan colleges , which promise to help students graduate without going into debt.

Should community college be free?

It’s a big question with varying viewpoints. Supporters of free community college cite the economic contributions of a more educated workforce and the individual benefit of financial security, while critics caution against the potential expense and the inefficiency of last-dollar free college programs. 

What states offer free college?

More than 30 states offer some type of tuition-free college program, including Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington State. The University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education lists over 100 last-dollar community college programs and 16 first-dollar community college programs, though the majority are limited to California residents.

Is there a free college?

There is no such thing as a truly free college education. But some colleges offer free tuition programs for students, and more than 30 states offer some type of tuition-free college program. In addition, students may also want to check out employer-based programs. A number of big employers now offer to pay for their employees' college tuition . Finally, some students may qualify for enough financial aid or scholarships to cover most of their college costs.

Scholarships360. " Which States Offer Tuition-Free Community College? "

The White House. “ Build Back Better Framework ,” see “Bringing Down Costs, Reducing Inflationary Pressures, and Strengthening the Middle Class.”

The White House. “ Fact Sheet: How the Build Back Better Plan Will Create a Better Future for Young Americans ,” see “Education and Workforce Opportunities.”

Coast Community College District. “ California College Promise Grant .”

Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. “ The Dollars and Cents of Free College ,” see “Biden’s Free College Plan Would Pay for Itself Within 10 Years.”

Third Way. “ Why Free College Could Increase Inequality .”

Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. “ The Dollars and Cents of Free College ,” see “Free-College Programs Have Different Effects on Race and Class Equity.”

University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. “ College Promise Programs: A Comprehensive Catalog of College Promise Programs in the United States .”

Should Education be Free? – Essay in English

by Meenu Saini | Mar 7, 2023 | General | 0 comments

English Essay Writing Topic –  Should Education be Free?

 is free education to all good or bad  – essay in english.

Education and it’s Importance

Education has become a business.

• Why Education should be Free?

Why Should Education Not be Free?

Free education according to indian law, global scenario of free education, the exploitation of people in the name of education.

• Frequently Asked Questions (with Answers) on Free Education

A person acquires knowledge and skills through education. It is essential because it enables people to think for themselves, make informed decisions, and contribute to their communities. Education is critical to a thriving society. It helps to create knowledgeable and responsible citizens who can contribute to the betterment of their communities. It is impossible to ignore the importance of education in our lives. It shapes who we are, what we believe in, and how we view the world. It is the foundation upon which we build our future. That is why it is so important to get an education. “It is through education that we develop the capabilities to fight against injustice, violence, corruption, and many other bad elements in society. The purpose of education is to provide us with a better understanding of the world around us. It helps develop our perspective on life. Education is the most important element in the nation’s evolution because one will not explore new ideas without it. Without ideas, there can be no creativity, and without creativity, a nation cannot develop.”

Education is not only a ladder of opportunity, but it is also an investment in our future.” Ed Markey   Top    

It seems like education has become more of a business than a learning institution. With schools charging high tuition fees and students taking  loans to pay for their education, it’s no wonder that many people are feeling the pinch when it comes to getting a good education. It seems like teaching has become more of a business than anything else. The focus of professors is primarily on teaching to the test and getting good grades, rather than preparing  students for the real world. And students are more focused on getting good grades and getting into a good college than on learning anything.

Don’t get me wrong, grades and college are important. But it seems like the system is more focused on making money than anything else. And that’s not good for anybody. Some schools are doing their best to provide quality education, but many are simply in it for the money. It’s becoming more and more challenging to know which schools to trust and which ones to avoid. If you’re thinking about getting an education, do your research and choose a school that will give you the best bang for your buck. With so many options, you owe yourself to get the best education possible. Let’s understand with an example.

India produces more than 25% of the world’s engineers, but we are not in the top 10 when it comes to Nobel Prizes in STEM. Why is this the case? Education as a Business has Rotten Our Society 

There are several reasons why India isn’t represented more prominently among Nobel laureates. One is that Indian universities don’t produce enough world-class researchers. Another is that many of our best scientists choose to work abroad, where they have better opportunities and resources. Since they have money, they are just studying for a degree. No one cares about this teacher’s work for money; students get high marks on their certificates. It’s no secret that engineering is one of the most popular fields of study among students in India. Every year, millions of students pass out of engineering

colleges with the hope of getting an excellent job with a high salary.

However, The sad truth is that only a tiny fraction of them get such jobs. The majority of engineering graduates work in low-paying jobs or jobs that are not related to their field of study. One of the main reasons is that most engineering colleges in India are not very good. They don’t provide their students with the necessary skills and knowledge to get a good job.

Another reason is that many students study engineering only because they think it will lead to a high-paying job. They’re not interested in the subject matter, so they don’t work hard enough to get good grades. There is the problem of corruption. In many colleges, students can get high grades by paying bribes. This means that the students who are getting good jobs are not necessarily the best and brightest but the ones who are willing to pay the maximum amount of Money.   Top    

Why Education Must Be Free ?

• Everyone Will get Equal Chance

“ Education should be free as it would allow students from low-income families to receive higher education. It will encourage them to pursue a career they are passionate about, which will help them stay off  public assistance in the future.”

This exciting perspective highlights the potential benefits of free education for all. It is undoubtedly true that many students from low-income families struggle to access quality education , which can profoundly impact their prospects. 

With free education , everyone would have an equal chance to pursue their dreams and achieve their potential. This would lead to a more educated and productive society, ultimately benefiting us all. With more people being educated, we would see a decrease in crime and an overall improvement in the quality of life. This would provide them with the skills and knowledge they need to compete in the job market and succeed in life. Making education accessible would also be a massive boost to the economy. Studies have shown that investing in education is one of the most effective ways to stimulate economic growth. When more people have access to education, they can get better jobs and contribute more to the economy.

• Innovation Will Be Increased

If education were free , this would increase the number of students who want education. This would also increase innovation in society.

There are many reasons why education should be free . One reason is that it would increase the number of people who have access to education. This would, in turn, lead to more innovation in society.

The majority of students today cannot afford expensive education , and those who do worry about their debt have fewer opportunities to enjoy life. For example, if college were free for everyone, low-income students would be able to attend. They would be able to pursue new opportunities without being concerned about their debt.

• Increase in Work Engagement 

“Although many people major in a particular field in college to be content with that job for the rest of their lives, it is not uncommon for them to eventually lose interest in that career. Because students can only try one major in college, they are forced to settle. This leads to these people doing the bare minimum at work and sleepwalking through their day with little to no joy. If college were free, people would have the opportunity to pursue a career they love , leading to increased engagement at work and happiness in their daily lives.”

• Reduce The Amount Of Student Loan

Student loans are the most common form of financial aid requested by college students.

According to the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics, over 60% of all undergraduate students rely on some form of student loan to finance their education . There are several reasons why student loans are so popular. 

First and foremost, college is expensive . It is estimated that the average tuition and fees at a public four-year college are now very high. Those costs don’t even include books, housing, and other necessities. So many students don’t have the financial resources to pay for college independently. Education is a fundamental human right. It is vital to the development of individuals and society as a whole. However, access to quality education is not always equal. In many countries, education is still prohibitively expensive for many people. 

If education were free , the Government could use the money currently being invested in student loans to finance other vital investments in the country. For example, the funds could invest in infrastructure or research and development. This would lead to more jobs and higher economic growth. Making education accessible would be a transformational change that would benefit society. It would level the playing field and give everyone a fair chance to succeed.

• More Focus On Study

There’s no denying that money is a significant source of stress for many students. A recent study found that nearly 60% of college students said they experienced anxiety about their finances. That’s not surprising when you consider the cost of tuition, room and board, and other expenses. But what if students didn’t have to worry about money? They would be more focused on learning.   Top    

• Devalues The Degree

If schools are free, students might not take their education as seriously. If students don’t have to pay for their education, they might not value it as much. This could lead to a decrease in the quality of education overall. School should be a place where students are challenged and expected to work hard to succeed. When school is free, students have no incentive to put in the extra effort.

• Creates an unequal society

There is no doubt that free education is a great leveler. It gives everyone an equal opportunity to learn and succeed. However, there is a downside to this. When everyone has the same options, the playing field is not level. The more intelligent and hardworking students will inevitably do better than those not as gifted. This will create an unequal society in schools, with the more talented students getting ahead. This is not to say that free education is a bad thing. It is still the best way to ensure that everyone has an equal

opportunity to succeed. However, we should be aware of the potential downside, And be prepared to deal with it.

• Ultimate Burden On Taxpayers and Government

Governments may have to spend a lot of money on free education. In spite of the fact that it may be accessible to students, it is imposed on the government. Therefore, free education may require the government to borrow money. And it will create an unnecessary burden on taxpayers. Free education can be costly to the government and can increase the tax burden on the people. The government may be forced to raise tax rates to finance free education. This will harm the economy and may lead to a decrease in the standard of living.

• Reduces productivity

A well-educated workforce is essential for the growth of the economy. However, free education may lead to a decrease in the workforce’s productivity, as students may not be able to focus on their studies due to the lack of financial pressure.   Top    

In India, the right to education is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution. Article 21-A of the Constitution of India states that “ the State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of six to fourteen years in such manner as the State may, by law, determine.”

The Constitution (Eighty-sixth Amendment) Act, 2002 inserted Article 21-A in the Constitution of India with effect from 1 April 2005. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, representing the consequential legislation under Article 21-A, came into force on 1 April 2010.

The RTE Act lays down the following objectives:

(a) to provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of six to fourteen years in such manner as the State may, by law, determine;

(b) to ensure that the quality of education imparted to all children is of a uniform standard;

(c) to make education accessible to all children; and

(d) to promote equity in education.

Under the RTE Act, every child has a right to free and compulsory education till the completion of elementary education in a neighbourhood school. A neighbourhood school is located within a radius of three kilometres from the child’s residence or within such distance as may be prescribed by the appropriate government.

Every child who has not completed their elementary education shall be eligible for admission to class I of elementary education. No child shall be held back in any class or expelled from school till the completion of elementary education. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act) was passed by the Parliament of India on 4 August 2009 and it came into force on 1 April 2010. The RTE Act provides free and compulsory education for all children in the age group of 6 to 14 years. The RTE Act 2009 is a historic piece of legislation that seeks to provide free and compulsory education to all children aged 6-14 years. The RTE Act is a milestone in ensuring education for all children in India.   Top    

The current State of education is a far cry from what it should be. With the rise of technology, the global economic landscape has shifted and the demand for skilled workers has increased. Yet, the education system has not evolved to meet these new demands.

In many parts of the world, education is still based on the rote learning of facts and figures. Students are not taught how to think critically or solve problems. They are not allowed to explore their interests or to develop their full potential.

This needs to change. We need to prepare students for the future by teaching them how to think, create, and innovate. We need to give them the skills they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

The good news is that many  schools and educators are already doing this. But we need to do more. We need to scale up these innovative approaches and make them the norm. Only then will we be able to prepare our students for the challenges of the 21st century. There is no doubt that education is a fundamental human right. It is essential to the development of every individual, and it plays a vital role in the overall health and wellbeing of society. However, access to quality education remains a challenge for many people worldwide.

One of the most significant obstacles to achieving universal education is the cost of schooling. In many countries, families must pay for their children to attend school, a significant financial burden. This is especially true in countries where incomes are low and the cost of living is high. Fortunately, there is a growing movement toward free education. This means that schools do not charge tuition fees, and governments cover the cost of educational materials and resources. Free education is a powerful tool for promoting social and economic development, and it can have a transformative effect on individuals and societies.   Top    

As someone who has been through the education system, I know first-hand how easy it is for people to be exploited in the name of education. I’ve seen friends and classmates who have been pushed to the brink of mental and emotional breakdowns, all in the name of getting good grades. I have been in situations where I’ve been pushed to my limits, both mentally and physically, in order to succeed in school. A few exploit it for their own purposes  

In order to benefit themselves. They use education as a way to control and manipulate people.These people use education to control what others think and believe. They use it to advance their own agenda rather than help others learn and grow. This is not the way education is supposed to be used. Education should be about helping people learn and grow, not control and manipulation. Those who exploit it for their benefit are doing a disservice to others. It’s time for a change. We need to end the exploitation of people in the name of education. We need to start valuing our students’ and teachers’ wellbeing over test scores and grades. We need to create an education system that is truly designed to benefit everyone, not just the people in power.   Top    

“Anyone’s academic, social, and political career survivability is increased through education — though it requires a lot of money. There should not be a monopoly on education so that the whole world can move at the same pace to solve world problems such as poverty and starvation. Without more brains, the world will go nowhere, unable to make its talent any harder. At least, with more brains, you stand a chance against the cloud-free major obstacles in the world today.”   Top    

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON “Should education be free?”

Answering these questions will provide you with important points to cover in your essay on free education. 

Question 1: What is the importance of education? Answer: Education is important for personal and professional development, increasing earning potential, and promoting social and economic equality. Education is essential for the development of critical thinking and problem solving skills, which are essential for success in the modern world and the growth of a nation.

Question 2: Why should education be free? Answer: Free education allows individuals to pursue education without financial barriers, promoting social and economic equality.

Question 3- What are the benefits of free education? Answer: Free education can lead to increased enrollment and graduation rates, improved economic opportunities, and a more educated and skilled workforce. It also has the potential to reduce poverty and improve social mobility.

Question 4 Who pays for free education? Answer: Free education is typically funded by governments through tax revenue. It may also receive funding from private sources, such as foundations and philanthropic organizations.

Question 5: What are the disadvantages of free education? Answer: The cost of providing free education can be high, and there may be concerns about the quality of education and the sustainability of funding over time. Some people may also argue that free education is unfair to those who have already paid for their own education.

Question 6: What is the role of the government in education? Answer: Governments have a responsibility to provide education to their citizens, and they can do this by funding public schools, colleges, and universities. They can also implement policies and programs that promote equal access to education and support student success.

Question 7: How does free education affect the quality of education? Answer: Free education does not necessarily affect the quality of education as long as there is sufficient funding and resources to support the education system. However, it is important to ensure that educational standards and resources are maintained to provide a high-quality education to all students.

Question 8: How does free education impact the economy? Answer: Free education can have a positive impact on the economy by increasing the number of educated and skilled individuals, improving their earning potential, and promoting economic growth.

Question 9: How does free education impact social mobility? Answer: Free education can promote social mobility by providing individuals with equal access to education, regardless of their income or background. This can lead to greater equality and reduced poverty.

Question 10: What is the future of free education? Answer: The future of free education is uncertain, as it depends on political and economic factors. However, as the benefits of free education become more widely recognized, there is potential for more countries to implement free education policies and programs in the future.   Top   Recommended Read

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Is free college a good idea? Increasingly, evidence says yes

Subscribe to the brown center on education policy newsletter, douglas n. harris douglas n. harris nonresident senior fellow - governance studies , brown center on education policy , professor and chair, department of economics - tulane university.

May 10, 2021

• 10 min read

In just a few short years, the idea of free college has moved from a radical idea to mainstream Democratic thinking. President Biden made free college one of his core campaign planks , and one that the first lady has been promoting for years. In his recent address to Congress, the president also signaled that he is ready for legislative action on a scaled-back version of the idea as part of his American Families Plan .

Two weeks ago, the nonprofit College Promise (CP)—led by Martha Kanter, who served as President Obama’s undersecretary for education—also released a proposal that will influence the free college debate. (Full disclosure: I previously advised the Biden campaign and presently advise CP, but have received no compensation for these efforts.)

In today’s polarized environment, the free college idea stands out for its bipartisan support. A majority of self-identified Republicans has supported the notion of free college in some polls. In fact, one of the first such statewide programs was put in place by Bill Haslam, the former Republican governor of Tennessee. While this could go the way of Obamacare, which faced strong GOP congressional opposition despite the law’s origins with Republican Mitt Romney, free college seems different. Biden’s latest plan only applies to community colleges, which focus on career and vocational education of the sort Republicans support, as opposed to universities, which many Republicans view as hostile battlegrounds in a culture war.

But I am less interested in the politics than the evidence of effectiveness. I have studied college access for many years and run two randomized control trials of financial aid , which produced some of the first causal evidence on free college in Milwaukee. Two years ago, Brookings released the first installment of the Milwaukee work, which I carried out with a team of researchers. Since then, we have collected more data and learned more about how students responded over time. Below, I summarize our just-released study (co-authored with Jonathan Mills), compare our results to other financial aid programs, and then discuss implications for the Biden and CP proposals. Consequently, I conclude that the evidence increasingly favors free college and “open access aid” more generally.

What Did We Learn in Milwaukee?

I developed The Degree Project (TDP) in 2009 as a demonstration program in partnership between the nonprofit Ascendium (then known as the Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation and Affiliates) and Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS). TDP offered all first-time 9 th graders in half of MPS high schools $12,000 for college as “last-dollar” aid. Students could use the funds for college if they graduated from high school on time with a GPA of 2.5 and a class attendance rate of 90%. Also, as is the norm with free college programs, students had to fill out the FAFSA and have at least one dollar of unmet need. The aid could be used to attend any of the 66 public, in-state, two- or four-year colleges in Wisconsin. Ascendium provided up to $31 million to fund the grant and, as the main program administrator, sent regular letters to remind students about the program and its requirements. The organization also worked with school counselors to support students becoming eligible for the funds and preparing for college.

TDP was announced to students in the fall of 2011. Using anonymized data, we then tracked students’ high school, college, and life outcomes for eight years, and we recently received data extending through when students were roughly 22 years old. As a rare randomized trial, we could estimate the effects by comparing the control and treatment group outcomes. Here is what we found:

• For students who met the performance requirements, the program increased graduation from two-year colleges by 3 percentage points . This might seem small, but the denominator here is comprised of low-income 9 th graders. Half of the control group did not even graduate from high school, let alone college. The effect amounts to a 25% increase in two-year degrees.
• The framing and design of the program as free two-year college changed student decisions in ways consistent with what free college advocates suggest. The $12,000 maximum award amount was selected because it was sufficient to cover tuition and fees for a two-year college degree. The fact that TDP made two-year college free, but only reduced the cost of four-year college, was clearly communicated to students. This appears to explain one of our main results: Student enrollments shifted from four-year to two-year colleges. This is noteworthy given that students could use the funds at either two- or four-year colleges. In fact, students likely would have been able to use more of the $12,000 if they had shifted to four-year colleges. The only plausible reason for shifting to two-year colleges is that they were really attracted to the idea of free college.
• The “early commitment” nature of the program had some modest positive effects on some high school outcomes . Students learned about TDP in their 9 th grade year, giving them time to change their high school behaviors and college plans. Although it did not improve high school academic achievement, we find that TDP increased college expectations and the steps students took to prepare for college. TDP recipients also reported working harder because of the program (even though this did not show up in the academic measures). This highlights the fact that free college might also help address not only college-going rates, but the long-term stagnancy in high school outcomes.
• The merit requirements undermined the program’s effectiveness . Though the 2.5 GPA and 90% attendance and other requirements were arguably modest, only 21% of eligible students ended up meeting them. So, they ended up excluding many students. We also tested the two main ways that the merit requirements could have been helpful: (a) merit requirements might provide incentives for students to work hard during high school and better prepare for college, and (b) merit requirements might target aid to students who respond to it most. We find no evidence of either benefit. While students did work harder (see point [3] above), this appears to be due to other elements of the program, not the merit requirements.

Overall, these results suggest that aid is most effective when it is “open access”—that is, aid with early commitment and free college framing, but no merit requirements.

What about the evidence beyond Milwaukee?

Our study also reviews other research on financial aid, including federal aid, state merit aid programs, and the newer “promise scholarship” programs that mimic free college. Our study is not alone in finding that financial aid improves student outcomes. In fact, the vast majority of the most rigorous studies find positive effects on college attendance and college graduation. Given the strong average benefits of college, we can expect follow-up studies to show effects on employment earnings, voting, and other outcomes.

What about the costs? Open access aid is more expensive to be sure. More students receive aid and the aid levels per students are larger than traditional financial aid. Is it worth it? Our analysis suggests it is. We carried out new cost-benefit analyses of multiple programs, including TDP, but also other actively studied programs in: Kalamazoo, Michigan; Knox County, Tennessee; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and one statewide program in Nebraska. We also used estimates of the average effects of aid taken from prior literature reviews. All of these programs pass a cost-benefit test. That is, the effects on college outcomes, and the effects of college outcomes on future earnings, is much larger than the cost to the government and society as a whole. Moreover, it appears that benefits-per-dollar-of-cost are at least as high with open access aid as with more restricted programs. This means that open access aid provides greater total benefits to the community as a whole.

Back to the Free College Proposals

What do these results mean for President Biden’s and CP’s proposals? The table below provides a side-by-side comparison. The main difference is the level of detail. This reflects that the CP plan was designed to align with, and flesh out, the Biden campaign proposal. Perhaps the only substantive difference is that the CP proposal (and the Milwaukee program) includes private colleges. The Biden campaign documents exclude private colleges, though the American Families Plan just says “free community college,” signaling alignment with the CP plan. Both proposals are clearly in the category of open access aid.

There are numerous similarities between these provisions and the Milwaukee program that my team and I studied. All three programs make two-year college free (or nearly so) for all students without income requirements and through early commitment of aid. All three require the FAFSA and high school graduation. Importantly, unlike both the Biden and CP proposals, the Milwaukee program had merit requirements, which undermined its success. This is partly why our evidence is so relevant to the current debate.

Some might wonder why the president has scaled back the proposal to just free community college. This reflects that the idea of free college—even the “scaled back” version—is such a marked departure from past policy, especially at the federal level. Free community college alone would still be arguably the largest shift in federal higher education policy in the past half-century.

Caveats and Concluding Thoughts

We cannot make policy from evidence alone, but it can and should play a key role. Sometimes, policy ideas have such limited evidence of effectiveness that it is difficult to make any plausible case for a large-scale, national program. In other cases, there is enough promise for pilot studies and competitive grants to establish efficacy. With free college, we seem to be well beyond that point. In addition to decades of results on general financial aid programs, we have a growing number of studies on state and local programs that all show positive evidence—the “laboratory of democracy” at work. The idea of a large, federal free-college program therefore has more and more credibility.

A decade ago, it was not at all obvious that this is what the evidence would show. There was really no evidence on free college programs when we started this project back in 2009. Also, there were good reasons to expect that such a large increase in aid would suffer from “diminishing returns”—the idea that the next dollar is less effective than the previous one. This could have made free college more costly than the benefits could justify. Now, we know better.

I do still worry a bit about other factors and challenges. For example, the above analyses can only capture the immediate effects of financial aid, yet a federal free college program is such a marked departure in policy that it could alter political and market forces operating on higher education in unpredictable ways, perhaps even lowering college spending and quality. Also, if the proposal remains focused on community colleges, then this will shift students out of four-year colleges and into colleges that currently have very low completion rates. There are also other ways to increase college affordability and access that do not require free college (e.g., increased Pell Grants and income-based loan repayment), some of which target funds more narrowly to the most disadvantaged students. And there are many details to be worked out as the president’s allies in Congress try to generate sufficient support without (a) sacrificing core principles, or (b) creating new problems that can arise when grafting new federal programs on to widely varying state contexts.

Still, it is not often that an idea comes around that addresses a widely acknowledged problem and has both research support and a fair degree of bipartisan political support. The stars seem aligned to make some form of national free college a reality. The more evidence we see, the more that would seem to be a step forward.

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Should a College Education Be Available to All People for Free?

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Introduction

Why college education should free, opposing arguments, works cited.

The cost of college education in the United States has been on the rise in the past two decades. Many students are finding it hard to graduate because of financial constraints, even though the government offers financial support. Many learners avoid the trap of leaving school with huge debts that might take them many years to clear. This issue has been debated in various sectors, with proponents and opponents presenting different arguments for either supporting or opposing it.

Proponents believe that free education will strengthen the labour market, grow the economy, and increase equality in society. On the contrary, opponents argue that it will devalue the college degree and overburden the taxpayers, as well as the federal and state governments. Countries that offer free tertiary education report both positive and negative impacts.

Arguments from both sides originate from the results of surveys conducted on the positive and negative effects of free college education in countries such as Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Norway. College education should be free because it will widen the workforce, boost the economy, decrease inequality, and allow students to focus more on their careers.

Widening of the Workforce

Providing free education for everyone in America will widen the workforce by increasing the number of qualified people in the labour market. Technological advancement has introduced the concept of automation in many jobs that involve simple tasks. However, there is a need for more qualified individuals with analytical and creative thinking skills to do the work that machines cannot do (Winograd and Lubin). A free college education would create a large pool of graduates with technical skills; this would broaden the labour force and increase its agility.

Moreover, availability of qualified candidates would make it easier for industries to recruit, hire, train, and retain highly-qualified individuals with a wide range of capabilities (Kromydas 4). The majority of jobs in contemporary society require advanced technical skills that can only be acquired in college (Goger). In that regard, free college education would create a better-educated workforce that would fill the numerous positions that are available in the various economic sectors.

Economic Boost

Another reason why college education should be free is the role it would play in boosting the economy. Government statistics have shown that students graduate with an average debt of $31,172 that takes several years to repay fully (Winograd and Lubin). Moreover, the interest that accrues on their education loans makes it harder for them to focus on other life aspects such as starting a family or buying a house. Free education would allow students to graduate without debt, and therefore, enhance their readiness to earn, save, and invest (Winograd and Lubin). The economy would benefit immensely if the money that people use to repay their student debts went toward investments or starting businesses.

In addition, instead of paying for their children’s college education, parents could use that money to invest in their retirement or the stock market. Either way, college for all would provide a financial incentive that would save a lot of money. Habits such as consumer spending and investing are key in the stimulation of economic growth (Winograd and Lubin). Many students are afraid of leaving school with huge debts, and so, they avoid going to college altogether. Decreased graduation rates lower the number of professionals available to fill the vacancies that are available in various industries.

Increased Equality

Inequality in the education sector is a pervasive challenge that could be solved by the introduction of free college education for all. Students from low-income families find it difficult to afford tertiary education because it is expensive ( Financial Stress ). In that regard, equal opportunities are unavailable for young people to pursue careers of their choice. There are many bright individuals who fail to make their contribution to society because of the lack of money to go to school. A lack of education is associated with low wages and a below-average lifestyle (Kromydas 6).

States that have free college tuition programs record positive outcomes: inequality has declined significantly and the rates of graduation have increased (Winograd and Lubin). The Tennessee Promise scholarship program increased college enrolment by 24.7%; the admission of African American and Hispanic students rose by 5% and 1% respectively (Winograd and Lubin). The graduation rate in the program was 52.6%, while that of students who finance their education was 38.9% (Winograd and Lubin). The rates of graduation among students who attend college on scholarship are higher than those of students who pay for it.

Increased Focus on Studies and Careers

Proponents of free college education argue that it is necessary because it will allow students to focus on their education and careers, rather than looking for tuition money. Some of the main causes of stress among college students include the high cost of education, the means of repaying their loans, challenging academic work, relationships, and securing employment after school ( Financial Stress ). Research has shown that financial constraints cause worry, anxiety, and even depression among students. The sustained stress of thinking about how to pay for tuition and the burgeoning debts after graduation diverts their focus from their education to the search for money ( Financial Stress ). These challenges crowd their brain’s ability to focus on coursework and their long-term professional goals. As a result, the rates of graduation decline immensely as many of the students drop out for lack of money.

A 2015 study conducted by the Ohio State University on student wellness revealed that approximately 70% of students experience stress because of the poor state of their finances (Winograd and Lubin). Anxiety originates from thinking about ways to pay for their tuition and monthly expenses. Moreover, 32% of the students interviewed stated that at certain times, they had to abdicate their studies so that they could look for money to pay their debts (Winograd and Lubin). These challenges could be mitigated by a free college education for all.

Opponents of free college education argue that it is impracticable because it would devalue college education and overburden the taxpayers, as well as the state and federal governments. They have criticized the proponents for presenting arguments that though valid, have little basis in reality. For example, they support it and fail to give workable recommendations on how to get the money for the program without overburdening the state and federal governments. It would be inappropriate to increase taxes so as to earn money to fund a free education program. Moreover, they ignore how it would affect the value of a college degree.

Increased Pressure on Governments and Taxpayers

One of the main arguments against free college for all is the financial pressure it would place on the federal and state governments and taxpayers. Such a program would require the government to find extra money to finance it, taking into consideration the likely increase in enrolment. Free college education means that Americans would be required to pay more taxes for the government to get enough money to implement and sustain the program (DiMartino 261).

Higher education is not a universal right but a private pursuit that is usually done in order to get an economic return (McCowan, 111). Therefore, the government does not a moral obligation to make it free for everyone. The uncertainty of who will be affected by the increases in tax is a source of discomfort and opposition among Americans who think that the idea is not viable (Goger). The most realistic option would be increasing and creating new taxes, thus burdening the taxpayers who are already paying taxes that are considered relatively high in comparison with other developed economies.

Devaluation of the College Degree

The value of a college degree would decline significantly if education was made free for all. Currently, many people rate a degree highly mainly because of the dedication and struggle involved in its attainment. The stress of financing one’s education through loans and taking multiple jobs makes it an invaluable pursuit (Goger). Free education may erode its quality because students would not feel then need to work hard as the government would pay for their tuition. Moreover, the majority of them would not be motivated to graduate quickly because of the lack of an urgency to reduce debt.

Therefore, laziness and indifference to education would increase because of the elimination of the financial pressure of mounting student debt (Goger). This renders the idea of free college education for all a bad idea that should not be implemented. Moreover, free education would not solve the inequality that exists in the education system because of social and cultural factors (DiMartino 274).

In that regard, free education would be beneficial to a small percentage of students who cannot pursue higher education because of financial constraints. This would exclude young people who do not go to college because of social and cultural factors.

The arguments that free education might devalue a college degree and put pressure on governments and taxpayers is highly flawed. First, free education would increase competition in the labor market because a higher number of graduates would compel organizations to raise their hiring and recruitment standards (Goger). Therefore, students would be more motivated than before to attain excellence in their education in order to increase the chances of pursuing the careers of their choice.

Moreover, there are many people who pursue alternative careers because of the lack of money to pay for tertiary education. It is highly unlikely that the program would devalue a college degree. This phenomenon has not been observed in countries that offer free college education, such as Norway, Finland, and Sweden.

Opponents also argue that free education would put pressure on state and federal governments, and taxpayers. This argument is based on the assumption that the only way for the federal government to finance the program is through raising taxes. However, there are other alternatives that can be applied.

It is estimated that even without this family income limitation, eliminating tuition for four years at all public colleges and universities for all students would cost taxpayers $79 billion a year, according to U.S. Department of Education data. Consider, however, that the federal government spent $91 billion in 2016 on policies that subsidized college attendance. At least some of that could be used to help make public higher education institutions tuition-free in partnership with the states. (Winograd and Lubin)

The government could also reevaluate its spending in various sectors in favor of free education and enact more stringent policies that seal the loopholes that wealthy individuals and organizations use to avoid paying taxes.

Utopia and Free College Education

Thomas More taught that in a utopian society, governments focus all resources on the provision of services that promote the safety and welfare of its citizens. Such civilizations are characterized by equality as everyone has access to opportunities for personal and professional advancement, and they are treated with dignity (More).

Free college education can be viewed as one of the ways that the US can achieve a utopian society: it will promote public interests, accord people dignity, encourage individual development, and support the improvement of people’s welfare (McCowan 115). It would provide a way for people to live with dignity by eradicating ignorance, pursuing careers of their choice, and serving society.

College education should be free because it will widen the workforce, boost the economy, decrease inequality, and allow students to focus more on their careers. There are several downsides though: there is a possibility of devaluing the college degree and placing financial pressure on taxpayers and the state and federal governments. However, the impact on the education system, the economy, people’s lives, and the society at large outweigh the shortcomings. This conclusion has limitations; first, it is based on the assumption that skills can only be taught in college.

Secondly, it disregards the importance of encouraging young people to venture into entrepreneurship as an alternative to formal education. Many successful entrepreneurs have reiterated on several occasions that they do not usually consider academic qualifications when hiring. Their main focus is on the individual’s creativity, thinking capability, and the potential to solve complex problems.

It is important for Congress to support the provision of free college education by enacting laws that support it. Otherwise, the American economy might not be able to compete effectively with other developed nations that offer free education and that have a highly qualified and academically diverse workforce.

DiMartino, Lauren A. “ The “Free College” Illusion: How State Tuition Support Programs are Widening the Opportunity Gap. ” Georgetown Journal on Poverty, Law, and Policy , vol. 25, no. 2, 2018, pp. 258-301.

“Financial Stress Prevents College Students from Graduating: What Can We Do?” Scholarship America , 2019.

Goger, Annelies. “ Free College Won’t Be Enough to Prepare Americans for the Future of Work. ” Brookings , 2019.

Kromydas, Theocharis. “Rethinking Higher Education and its Relationship with Social Inequalities: Past Knowledge, Present State, and Future Potential.” Palgrave Communications , vol. 3, no. 1, 2017, pp. 1-12.

McCowan, Tristan. “ Is There a Universal Right to Higher Education? ” British Journal of Educational Studies , vol. 60. No. 2, 2012, pp. 111-128.

More, Thomas. “Utopia.” The Project Gutenberg , 2000.

Winograd, Morley, and Max Lubin. “ Tuition-Free College is Critical to Our Economy. ” EdSource, 2020.

• The United States Student-Loan Debt Crisis
• The Pros and Cons of Free College
• Education: The Tuition Rates at Cal-States Schools
• American Aviation Colleges Tuition Fee
• College Graduation Rate in the US
• Prejudice and Discrimination Among Students
• Why Students Should Not Be Allowed to Use Their Cellphones in Class?
• Inappropriate Behaviors in Students
• High School Dropouts and Their Reasons
• School Student Property Searches Without Warrants
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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Long Essay on Education should be free

Education is considered one of the most powerful tools for personal and societal development. It is a fundamental human right and essential for the overall growth and development of an individual and a nation. However, access to education is not always equal, and many people around the world are unable to access quality education due to financial constraints. This is why many argue that education should be free.

One of the main arguments in favor of free education is that it would increase access to education for people from low-income families. These families often struggle to afford the cost of education, which can include tuition fees, textbooks, and other expenses. This can lead to a lack of educational opportunities and can perpetuate the cycle of poverty. Free education would provide equal educational opportunities for all, regardless of their socioeconomic status.

Another argument in favor of free education is that it would improve the overall quality of education. When education is not free, many students are forced to work part-time jobs to afford the cost of their education. This can lead to students being unable to fully focus on their studies, which can negatively impact their academic performance. Furthermore, many students from low-income families may not be able to afford the latest technology and resources that are needed for education, this can make them fall behind in their studies. Free education would enable all students to have access to the resources they need to succeed academically.

Free education would also benefit society as a whole. A well-educated population is essential for the overall growth and development of a nation. It is also essential for the country’s economic growth and competitiveness. A well-educated population can also lead to a reduction in crime and poverty and an increase in social mobility. Furthermore, free education would also help to reduce the skills gap and ensure that the workforce is equipped with the skills necessary to meet the demands of the job market.

However, there are also some arguments against free education. One of the main arguments against free education is that it would be too expensive to implement and maintain. The cost of providing free education to all students, regardless of their socioeconomic status, would be significant, and it is not clear where the funding would come from.

Another argument against free education is that it would lead to a decrease in the quality of education. When education is free, there is often less funding available for the education system. This can lead to a lack of resources, such as textbooks and technology, and a lack of quality teachers. Furthermore, the availability of free education may also lead to an increase in the number of students attending college, which can lead to overcrowding and a decrease in the quality of education.

Education is a fundamental human right and essential for personal and societal development. Many argue that education should be free in order to increase access to education for people from low-income families and to improve the overall quality of education. However, there are also arguments against free education, such as the cost and the potential decrease in the quality of education. Instead of making education completely free, governments could implement policies such as scholarships, grants, and financial aid to help make education more affordable for low-income families. Additionally, governments could also invest in improving the quality of education, by providing necessary resources and training teachers. Ultimately, the goal should be to ensure that all students have access to quality education, regardless of their socioeconomic status.

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Should College Be Free?

With ross douthat, michelle goldberg and david leonhardt, and why are birthrates dropping.

I’m Michelle Goldberg.

I’m Ross Douthat.

I’m David Leonhardt. And this is “The Argument.” This week, should college be free?

The American college system is considered by a lot of people to be better than the college systems in Western Europe. And one reason it’s better is that it induces parents to part with their money.

Then, where have all the baby’s gone?

Women feel like men have not caught up. They have not been able to find men who have really kept pace and necessarily share their views of what a more egalitarian relationship would look like.

And finally, a recommendation.

I was just so rapt by this movie. And I was also sort of astonished that it got made at all. And I see that as an optimistic sign of where the culture is.

The cost of college is a big burden for many people. And it’s become a hot political topic as well. The big question in progressive policy circles is whether public college should be free, paid for with taxes rather than tuition payments and loans from students and their families. Pete Buttigieg has sharpened the debate in recent weeks by running an ad criticizing the idea of free college, saying it’s too much of a handout to the wealthy.

I believe we should move to make college affordable for everybody. There are some voices saying, well, that doesn’t count unless you go even further, unless it’s free even for the kids of millionaires. But I only want to make promises that we can keep.

Buttigieg favors free college for lower and middle income families. Bernie Sanders, on the other hand, prefers free public college for everyone. It’s a classic debate between universal and targeted social programs. And it’s fascinating both in its own right and as a symbol of the larger left versus center debate in the Democratic primary. Michelle, I’m mostly with Mayor Pete on this one. Free college for everyone just doesn’t seem to me like a good use of resources. And it also seems to bother a lot of swing voters. So I don’t think it’s worth the political cost. But I’m really interested in what you’ve thought about this whole debate.

Well, David, I mean, you don’t think that kind of millionaires and billionaires are going to start sending their kids to public college if it’s free, right? I mean, the argument itself is sort of — it might be politically astute. But it seems sort of disingenuous. And I think Democrats in general should have been pointing out a lot more that this idea of free college is not a new thing. The UC system was free until the ‘70s. The CUNY system which produced a lot of the leading conservative minds in the country was also free until the 1970s. And so this isn’t some sort of departure like “Medicare for all.” This is actually the way public education used to be. And bringing market mechanisms into public universities has been sort of a disaster. My fear about what happens if you have free college for, say, everybody under $100,000 is that it creates incentives which you already see in some of these state university systems to really focus on bringing in the families that can kind of subsidize everyone else. I’ve been to public colleges in Arizona where, because there’s less and less money from the state, there’s more and more of an emphasis on getting out-of-state students from California, which has created this sort of arms race of amenities, while basic educational functions are ignored. I’m not sure you’d have that exact problem if you just had free college for people whose families make under six figures. But I do think that the idea that it’s obviously going to function better is untested at best.

Look, Buttigieg is obviously trying to score some rhetorical points here by talking about paying for college of millionaires and billionaires. But there is a larger point that’s true here, which is, Michelle, that the world you worry about creating is a world that I think we already have. So I don’t have a problem with getting to a world in which all college is free. But the idea that we would start now by making all college free, to me, has two really big problems. One, it really is regressive. It really is sending a lot of benefits to people like high-income professionals who don’t need the help relative to most Americans. And two, it’s not obviously a political winner. And so it might be a political loser. The polling’s sort of mixed on it. And so I guess I just prefer an approach that, one, is going to help more people that need help and, two, might actually be more popular and make it more likely that Donald Trump loses. And so that’s why I prefer the Buttigieg approach.

So I guess my question — and I’m more on David’s side, but I’ll play devil’s advocate a little bit — is that I think the strongest case for various socialistic proposals is that we’ve set up markets in health care and education in this country that just don’t work at all, because nobody knows what the prices are. I am an upper middle class professional trying to figure out what I need to save for college. And if I look at elite college tuition rates going forward, I have no idea how that interacts with these incredibly opaque financial aid systems that are there to milk just the right amount of money out of each group and so on. And that is both a deterrent for low-income people in applying to college at all, because they get sticker shock and look at these prices that aren’t real prices and don’t apply. And it’s a source of endless stress for parents and, to some extent kids. And Buttigieg’s proposal, it probably adds to some of that complexity and stress to some extent, even as it reduces it for lower-income people. There is an advantage in terms of how people interact with bureaucracy and how people interact with these systems to just say, yeah, these schools cost money. And these schools are free.

And look, we love to denigrate American high schools today. But historically, they’re this unbelievable success story. America moved toward universal high school education before Europe. And our economy benefited enormously. And that’s basically the argument that, to some extent, you each are making. And I guess I would love to get to a world in which at least two years of college are free for everyone and maybe four. But a little bit as with “Medicare for all,” the idea of saying, this is what the Democrats are really going to double down on, decide it’s what they really want, free college for all, as opposed to a really ambitious climate bill or as opposed to a wealth tax, which I like. To me, it’s just not exactly worth it. And you get a huge portion of the benefit without the downsides by doing a more targeted approach. And by the way, I prefer Buttigieg’s to Biden’s approach. Biden’s approach is free community college for all, which I’ve written positive things about. But I also like the idea that we don’t tell poorer kids that the only way to get the benefits of this program are go to a community college and we say to them, you can also get it by going to a four-year college. But you’re right, the plan that I’m talking about is more complicated. It’s cheaper, but it’s more complicated than the idea of free college, period, for everybody.

I’m willing to concede that there might be a short-term political benefit when it comes to defeating Donald Trump. But I would also say that if a Democrat gets elected, they’re going to have a much better chance, I think, of starting from the position of what they really want and negotiating from there rather than starting with a halfway measure and maybe, if they’re lucky, getting to free community college.

Yeah, and I’m skeptical that this is — I think “Medicare for all” as proposed by Warren and Sanders is very unpopular. I think this would be much less unpopular and would not be an issue that would help reelect Trump per se. I’ll now switch sides and make the opposite argument. I think there is a case, on the one hand, that the four year college model is oversubscribed, actually, in America right now and what we need is more people going to community colleges, trade school, continuing education, more investment in that space. And that makes me more sympathetic to the Biden proposal, in that it sort of very specifically directs resources there rather than towards the college system as a whole. I also think there’s an argument that seems pretty plausible, which is that, David, you mentioned how the American high school system was the envy of the Western world. Well, right now, the American college system, as horrible as it is in six different ways, is considered by a lot of people to be better than the college systems in Western Europe. And one reason it’s better is that it is well-funded in lots of ways, in part because it induces parents to part with their money. And college becomes free, and then that becomes a justification for state governments to say, look, these kids at these state schools are getting a free education. They don’t need lavish amenities. They don’t need high-paid faculty. We’re going to cut the higher ed budget. And pretty quickly, it would actually end up starving a lot of middle and lower tier colleges of revenue, even as the rich private colleges, which are the ones whose revenue you should actually be cutting would be doing fine. I think that’s actually a pretty plausible description of how free college might actually end up undercutting the colleges.

But the argument against that is that that’s precisely what happens when it is only free for the sort of bottom tiers. When free college is something that, say, 80 percent of families can take advantage of, you have much more social buy-in, just as there’s much more protectiveness around Medicare than there is around Medicaid because of who gets it. It creates a constituency for this that is much harder for politicians to ignore.

Clearly, Buttigieg is not just thinking about education here. He sees a lane to get these large number of Democrats who either are moderate or want a moderate who they consider to be electable. Michelle, how do you assess the state of the race right now? Kamala Harris has just dropped out. It feels like Biden and Buttigieg are competing for the moderate voters. And Warren and Bernie are competing for the progressive voters. Where do you see things?

I don’t think there’s any real clarity about where the race is right now. It seems extremely indeterminate. Buttigieg has gone from someone who I think a lot of people on the left found kind of interesting and thought he had a lot of compelling structural ideas. And he has now whipped up such intense ill will among the progressive part of the Democratic Party, in part because he’s doing this while accepting Republican framing of these issues in a way that I think that Democrats, or at least a good section of the party sees as really pernicious. And so it might end up helping him get the nomination. And I think it would also make it much harder to unify the party if he actually did.

I’m a little more optimistic than that. I remember when Barack Obama was outraging progressives. Our colleague Paul Krugman really didn’t like the way Obama ran against Hillary in 2008, and talking about bringing everyone together, which a lot of progressives found naive. So I don’t know. I agree with you, Michelle, that’s what he’s trying to do here. But I do feel like it’s something that he could recover from in the unlikely but not impossible event that he’s the nominee.

A quick note before we take a break. 2019 is quickly coming to an end. And here at “The Argument,” we’re thinking about the year ahead. So we want to hear from you. What are your New Year’s resolutions? We want to hear them, especially if they’re related to politics, culture, or something beyond your own life. Maybe you’re going to canvas for a political candidate for the first time. Or maybe you’re going to add a few different news sources to your reading list. Whatever it is, big or small, share your resolutions with us by leaving us a voicemail at 347-915-4324. Make sure you tell us your name and where you’re from so we can play your call on an upcoming episode. And with that, we will take a quick break.

Americans aren’t having as many children as they used to. The fertility rate in the U.S. declined last year for the fourth year in a row and has fallen to a record low. It’s not just the United States either. Fertility rates in much of Europe and Japan are low enough to be causing population declines. And in China, the end of the “one child” policy has not led to the baby boom that some expected. What’s going on here? Anna Louie Sussman is a writer who tried to answer that question in a fascinating recent Times op-ed called “The End of Babies.” And she has joined us for the discussion. Anna, thank you, and welcome to “The Argument.”

Thank you for having me.

So I was struck by your description of fertility rates being low in a really wide variety of countries, including some with really good parental benefits like Denmark and some with really terrible parental benefits like the United States. And I came away thinking that I guess the closest thing to a single explanation for this trend is a rise of what might be called individualism over communitarianism. You mentioned this notion of workism, of people focusing on their careers out of either necessity or choice. And you also talk about people being wary of bringing children into a world suffering from climate change and extreme inequality. So I was wondering whether you think it’s legitimate to think about falling fertility rates as being a reflection of the individual triumphing over the community.

I wouldn’t necessarily put it that way. I think there’s a few different parts to the issue. One, I don’t see falling fertility rates in a macro perspective as necessarily a huge issue. I think there’s loads of people in the world. We’re not suffering from an actual shortage of people. What I was more interested in is what’s happening on an individual level, which is to say, a gap between the number of children people say they want and the number of children they wind up having. Demographers call this underachieving fertility. And it’s particularly acute amongst educated women. The other issue, I think, is individual versus a kind of way of thinking that takes into account interdependence. I use this term late capitalism in the essay. People have kind of quibbled with it a bit. But I meant particular aspects of the way that our economy is conducted right now. And in particular, I was thinking of extreme inequality. I was thinking of this growth mentality that requires more resources and more raw materials and more energy and more manufacturing and creates more waste. But it’s also gone way into our psyches. And it’s affected relationships between women and men in very disturbing ways and our own self-conceptions. And all of that has made it, for a variety of reasons, more difficult to contemplate or realize this idea of having children.

Michelle, how do you think about the part of the essay in which Anna points out that fertility is really weak, even in countries that have the sort of structure that you and I think the U.S. should have? Which is, it’s really weak in Denmark, even though Denmark has really good parental leave. So it doesn’t seem like it’s just a story about the safety net.

Well, it’s not just a story about safety net. But it’s partly a story about the safety net, because the two countries that have higher fertility than America right now are Sweden and France, not that much higher and not replacement. And it might just be pregnancy and childbirth is an extraordinarily brutal experience that most women, given the choice, are not going to go through again and again and again. A society that’s kind of shrinking slowly, which you get at 1.8 or 1.9 births per woman versus 1.4, 1.5, those have really different social implications. And so the only way that we know of in which a modern society, women who have kind of the whole full plethora of economic options that modernism gives them, the only way we know in which you get fertility even sort of close to replacement is with really rich social safety net provisions and a sort of culture that enables women to combine work and family. The thing that we do know is that efforts to juice fertility by just imposing penalties on women, by trying to make gender roles more reactionary are an abject failure. So the thing that’s absolutely toxic for fertility rates is a combination of modernity and economic freedom for women but a total lack of feminism and a social safety net.

And I’ll add that I was just in Poland earlier this year doing some reporting. And it’s quite clear when I talk to single women who are pursuing fertility treatments to become parents on their own, the women feel like the men have not caught up. These are women who are independently — they support themselves. They’re ambitious. But they still have an interest in having a family, a partner, and children. But they have not been able to find men who have really kept pace and necessarily share their views of what a more egalitarian relationship would look like.

And I think it’s probably not just individual men, although you might expect that I would come to the defense of individual men. But I do think it’s sort of the structures that we have in society that basically contribute to sexism, that we have all these structures that make it really hard for people to find meaningful part-time work and that basically lead to all kinds of inequities in child rearing, which in turn make much more of the burden fall on women and make me understand why people might be reluctant to have kids into that structure.

I guess I’d start by throwing out one other example of a country that’s rich and developed and has a higher fertility rate than the U.S. that I think goes to some of the questions about the kind of cultural and even metaphysical things going on here, which is Israel. It doesn’t have a fertility rate at replacement level. It has a fertility rate well above replacement level. And its fertility rate is higher in part because of immigration by Orthodox Jews over the last 20 or 30 years or 40, 50 years that’s made Israel a more religious society. But if you look at birth rates among secular Israelis, they are also basically comparably high and much higher than in any other wealthy country. And I think that’s a really interesting fact that, at the very least, it suggests something about sort of the nature of community and feelings of, on the one hand, threat and on the other hand, possibility. Israel is a country that is historically imperiled and exists in this strange equilibrium where it’s as rich and developed as a lot of countries in Europe but is in the Middle East and has military threats on its borders and so on. And I think it suggests that there is something about a culture’s perception of its own sense of purpose, its sense of the future.

Right, but Israel is also a very special case, because there is this sort of —

Ethnonationalist.

Well, it’s not even — but it’s not even ethnonationalist, because I feel like there’s a more innocent term for it. But basically, you have Israel is this country that was sort of born from the ashes of a Holocaust. And there’s this very strong cultural imperative to reconstitute the Jewish people. I’m not sure what other countries can kind of borrow from that. I don’t think that that’s an ethos that can be constructed.

No, I think it’s very clearly not an ethos that can just be transferred. But I think the power of that ethos to shape child rearing in a profound way tells us something about how much an ethos matters, in the sense that it’s not just the structures of the welfare state. It’s not just the condition of late capitalism. It’s not just the sexual revolution. Israel has late capitalism, the sexual revolution, a full-on welfare state, and much larger families. And I totally agree. That’s related to the nature and destiny of the Jewish people after the Holocaust. But it tells you something about how much cultural belief and purpose matter.

It may not be fully replicable. And I certainly— Michelle, you know I agree with you about having the policies that make it possible that Israel has and Sweden has and we don’t. That is a little bit what I was trying to get at with the individual and community thing, that that exists. And I feel like not just in the west but also in China, in Japan, in much of the world today, this idea of individualism really has taken hold. You see it with climate change, Anna, which was a big part of your piece. You see it with inequality. And I do feel like there’s this notion of people thinking much more about the individual than the family or the community.

I mean, I will say that you can find community at different levels. But whether it’s the caliber of community that would make it possible to raise children in an absence of any government policy is a different question. So I have plants, and I have a dog. And my neighbors, when I’m away, alternatively look after my plants and my dog. But I could not do that with a child.

They’re actually surprisingly resilient. [LAUGHTER]

Right, you just drop some food in a bowl.

You get them at the hospital. And you’re sort of baffled by how you’re going to keep them alive. But then, five years later, there they are.

But I think it’s also a question of, what do you feel you can ask someone in an environment of so much scarcity. I was raised by a single mom. And some of the things that we relied on just aren’t there anymore. For example, in our neighborhood when I would come home from summer camp, from day camp, my mom would give me $3 and I’d buy a bowl of egg drop soup. And then I’d read for three hours until she got off work and could pick me up from the Chinese restaurant. There are no more restaurants in my neighborhood where you can get anything for $3. So those kind of community level supports aren’t always there anymore as a function of these larger macroeconomic forces of gentrification and housing prices.

And can I just add — also, I think the amount of supervision and cultivation that’s expected of parents has escalated dramatically.

To me, there’s also a sense in which I tend to think of it as less about scarcity and more about abundance, in the sense that this trend obviously correlates with countries getting very rich. I was joking about the ease of raising kids. But the reality is that there is an irreducible difficulty to having children that no amount of wealth can get rid of. And this comes up in your op-ed a bit, Anna. But the cost of childcare doesn’t go down in the way that the cost of a new stereo goes down, because you need a human being to watch your child if you’re not watching your own child. And in that sense, I don’t think it’s surprising that people in an age of general material abundance would find this lifelong task that the material abundance doesn’t make easier something they’re less inclined to do. And I wanted to ask you about something that we sort of went back and forth briefly about on Twitter, which is that your piece doesn’t really get into the question of marriage and marriage rates. But I wanted to ask you about that, just because one of the facts about the recent fertility decline in the U.S. is that it’s not happening among married couples. Married fertility in the last 10 or 15 years is pretty stable. And so it’s a function of rates of single parenthood dropping slightly and lower marriage rates overall. And I wonder how you fit the decline of marriage itself into the story you’re telling.

One thing that really stuck with me — it didn’t go in the piece. But when I was reporting in Denmark, I talked to this policymaker. She was concerned about the fertility issue. And my joke when I talk to policymakers, if you want to see your birth rates go up, you need to fix men. For example, you could have a law that if you don’t return a woman’s SMS within a week, you get fined $50, something like that. I find myself, for example — I’m not going out with anyone. And on any given evening, I could go out on a date, or I could you know finish a story I’m working on or write something that I’m doing for income. And you wind up getting into this very calculating mindset that I think makes it really hard to relax and go out and meet people. And that’s, I think, also what I was referring to in terms of a scarcity mentality.

What do you think is wrong with the men?

Well, I was going to offer an example from a Bumble profile that crossed my path recently. His profile reads, “Hedge fund manager that has generated top one percent returns globally three years in a row. Travel a ton for work. Like sports. Collegiate athlete. I have limited time, so don’t try to negotiate stupid crap with me. Let life happen. Let’s meet for a drink.”

That was actually in my Bumble profile before I was married.

Wait, can I say something here? Anna and I have been friends for a long time. And sometimes when we’re talking about how brutal it is out there, I’ve actually wanted Anna to talk to Ross, because the one thing that I think that you guys both hit on from different directions, that Ross has written a bunch of columns about men and women growing apart, just having less and less in common. And that’s, I feel like, sometimes what I hear from Anna about just that it’s almost like speaking a different language to try to communicate with these people.

I used to be more, why can’t they get it together. Why don’t they read more? Why don’t they diversify their interests? But it’s an environment where also men still believe in that they have to earn a family wage. And I think whether you’re a woman or a man, if you’re working 100 hours a week, you’re not going to have the time and opportunity to pursue whatever other interests you have. So what that means for me when I’m sitting across the table or sitting at a bar with someone, trying to get to know them, is that I don’t necessarily haven’t anything in common, because he’s been working a lot. And I’ve been doing the kind of interesting, fulfilling job that, as a woman, I’ve been told “pursue your passion.” I think men get such different messages. And it’s left us, especially in an era where you do need so much money to survive, in these very different positions.

I want to quickly just quickly defend the male desire to be the breadwinner, because I think one of the questions that hangs over this alienation between the sexes is a question of what are men for in a post-feminist egalitarian society where the example of the professional women who you’re talking about in Europe or America are basically saying, well, I can do everything a man can do now. But I still want a partner and so on. Men need a sense of purpose. And even in an egalitarian society, the obvious place to find purpose is, look, your partner, your female partner does this incredibly difficult but also incredibly awesome thing of gestating and bearing a child. And your role in that is a sort of protective, providing role. You want to be equipped to, if not being the sole breadwinner all the time, being the person who can carry the load while your wife is pregnant and while your kid is young and so on. And I think it’s very hard to imagine a healthy masculinity that produces the kind of guys who would be suitable spouses for you, Anna, without some element of that, without some element of, look, being a man, I’m never going to bear a child in my womb. But I can offer something to a future spouse while she does that that she can’t do for herself.

Here’s what I don’t understand. I went on a date a month or two ago someone who works at a hedge fund. And he said at first he didn’t tell women where he worked, because he didn’t want to be seen as a big checkbook. But then he said, you know what, it’s part of who I am. And I like numbers. And this is the job I chose. And I do want to be able to provide for a family and make that known. But I think what he was missing and what I find myself wondering about is, wouldn’t it be so much nicer to be wanted than needed. If you know that I don’t actually need you for your money, but I just picked you, because you’re the most fun person I’ve met to hang out with, wouldn’t that be a wonderful basis on which to form a relationship? And Ross, if you’re lucky, we’ll get married. Maybe we’ll even convert to Catholicism.

I don’t even — I’m blushing at the other end of the mic.

And on that note, Anna Louie Sussman, thank you so much for joining us.

Thanks, Anna.

Now it’s time for our weekly recommendation when we suggest something meant to take your mind off of the news of the day. Michelle, It is your turn this week. What do you have for us?

I’m going to recommend the movie “Queen and Slim” which I wrote about in my column this week. It’s this really remarkable film about this couple on a sort of very awkward and desultory first date who are on their way home. He’s on his way to drop her off. And they’re pulled over by the police. It’s the sort of encounter that we’ve seen a million times in which the cop becomes needlessly aggressive and ends up menacing black people and in some case killing them, except in this case, there’s a scuffle. The cop ends up being killed in self-defense. And this couple go on the run. It’s not a perfect film. But I was just so rapt by this movie. I was kind of ugly crying when it ended. And I was also sort of astonished that it got made at all. And I see that as a optimistic sign of where the culture is. It’s been compared to a lot of blaxploitation films. There’s also obvious comparisons to “Bonnie and Clyde” and “Thelma and Louise.” And I looked back at some of the criticism around those two movies. Those two movies were really, really hard to get made. And I assumed that this movie with a first-time director who’s a woman of color, a black woman script writer, a movie that’s steeped in the politics of Black Lives Matter— I would have thought it would have had a much harder road to the Hollywood screens than it did. But apparently, Universal basically gave the filmmakers the resources they need and turned them loose.

I’m really looking forward to seeing it, not least because I just saw— my last movie experience was Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” which I really wanted to like, because I’m, of course, on Scorsese’s side in the great battle over comic book movies. But “The Irishman” was, I thought, sort of ruined by having Robert De Niro play a role that he’s just too old to play and using digital effects that didn’t suffice to have him fill the part. So a more dynamic and youthful and interestingly political movie that isn’t a comic book movie sounds great to me right now.

And it’s shorter.

And it’s an hour and 15 minutes shorter than “The Irishman” as well.

Michelle, what’s the recommendation?

“Queen and Slim.”

That’s our show this week. Thanks so much for listening. And we would very much like to hear from you. Share your sociopolitical New Year’s resolution with us or your views on free college or declining fertility rates. Leave us a voicemail at 347-915-4324. And if you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or review in Apple Podcasts. This week’s show was produced by Kristin Schwab for Transmitter Media and edited by Sarah Nics. Our executive producer is Gretta Cohn. We had help from Tyson Evans, Phoebe Lett, and Ian Prasad Philbrick. Our theme was composed by Allison Leyton-Brown. We’ll see you back here next week.

Nothing made me more sympathetic for the decadent liberal elites who I like to criticize in my column than actually having a kid and realizing, my god, I miss brunch.

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Should public colleges be tuition-free? Should student loan debt be forgiven? This week on “The Argument,” the columnists discuss Pete Buttigieg’s criticisms of his more liberal Democratic rivals’ plans to reduce the costs of higher education. Proponents of free college should stress that — in some cases — tuition-free higher education would be a return to form rather than a radical break, argues Michelle Goldberg. David Leonhardt thinks universal free college and universal debt cancellation are both regressive policies and bad politics. And while simplifying the costs of higher education is a laudable goal, Ross Douthat says, he favors proposals to better fund community colleges, trade schools and other alternatives to four-year schools.

Then, the birthrate in the United States and in countries around the world is falling. The journalist Anna Louie Sussman joins the columnists to debate the causes and implications of what she termed, in a recent Times op-ed , “the end of babies.”

And finally, Michelle recommends a subversive new film whose very existence is an optimistic sign about our cultural moment.

Background Reading:

Ross on marriage and declining fertility rates

Michelle on what happens when public colleges lose funding (The Nation) , feminism and the fertility rate and the thrilling shock of “Queen & Slim”

David on why free college and debt forgiveness for all are regressive

Anna Louie Sussman, “ The End of Babies ”

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College & Careers

Tuition-free college is critical to our economy

Morley Winograd and Max Lubin

November 2, 2020, 13 comments.

To rebuild America’s economy in a way that offers everyone an equal chance to get ahead, federal support for free college tuition should be a priority in any economic recovery plan in 2021.

Research shows that the private and public economic benefit of free community college tuition would outweigh the cost. That’s why half of the states in the country already have some form of free college tuition.

The Democratic Party 2020 platform calls for making two years of community college tuition free for all students with a federal/state partnership similar to the Obama administration’s 2015 plan .

It envisions a program as universal and free as K-12 education is today, with all the sustainable benefits such programs (including Social Security and Medicare) enjoy. It also calls for making four years of public college tuition free, again in partnership with states, for students from families making less than $125,000 per year.

The Republican Party didn’t adopt a platform for the 2020 election, deferring to President Trump’s policies, which among other things, stand in opposition to free college. Congressional Republicans, unlike many of their state counterparts, also have not supported free college tuition in the past.

However, it should be noted that the very first state free college tuition program was initiated in 2015 by former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, a Republican. Subsequently, such deep red states with Republican majorities in their state legislature such as West Virginia, Kentucky and Arkansas have adopted similar programs.

Establishing free college tuition benefits for more Americans would be the 21st-century equivalent of the Depression-era Works Progress Administration initiative.

That program not only created immediate work for the unemployed, but also offered skills training for nearly 8 million unskilled workers in the 1930s. Just as we did in the 20th century, by laying the foundation for our current system of universal free high school education and rewarding our World War II veterans with free college tuition to help ease their way back into the workforce, the 21st century system of higher education we build must include the opportunity to attend college tuition-free.

California already has taken big steps to make its community college system, the largest in the nation, tuition free by fully funding its California Promise grant program. But community college is not yet free to all students. Tuition costs — just more than $1,500 for a full course load — are waived for low-income students. Colleges don’t have to spend the Promise funds to cover tuition costs for other students so, at many colleges, students still have to pay tuition.

At the state’s four-year universities, about 60% of students at the California State University and the same share of in-state undergraduates at the 10-campus University of California, attend tuition-free as well, as a result of Cal grants , federal Pell grants and other forms of financial aid.

But making the CSU and UC systems tuition-free for even more students will require funding on a scale that only the federal government is capable of supporting, even if the benefit is only available to students from families that makes less than $125,000 a year.

It is estimated that even without this family income limitation, eliminating tuition for four years at all public colleges and universities for all students would cost taxpayers $79 billion a year, according to U.S. Department of Education data . Consider, however, that the federal government  spent $91 billion  in 2016 on policies that subsidized college attendance. At least some of that could be used to help make public higher education institutions tuition-free in partnership with the states.

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 attend college.

In the first year of the TN Promise , community college enrollment in Tennessee increased by 24.7%, causing 4,000 more students to enroll. The percentage of Black students in that state’s community college population increased from 14% to 19% and the proportion of Hispanic students increased from 4% to 5%.

Students who attend community college tuition-free also graduate at higher rates. Tennessee’s first Promise student cohort had a 52.6% success rate compared to only a 38.9% success rate for their non-Promise peers. After two years of free college tuition, Rhode Island’s college-promise program saw its community college graduation rate triple and the graduation rate among students of color increase ninefold.

The impact on student debt is more obvious. Tennessee, for instance, saw its applications for student loans decrease by 17% in the first year of its program, with loan amounts decreasing by 12%. At the same time, Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applications soared, with 40% of the entire nation’s increase in applications originating in that state in the first year of their Promise program.

Wage inequality by education, already dreadful before the pandemic, is getting worse. In May, the unemployment rate among workers without a high school diploma was nearly triple the rate of workers with a bachelor’s degree. No matter what Congress does to provide support to those affected by the pandemic and the ensuing recession, employment prospects for far too many people in our workforce will remain bleak after the pandemic recedes. Today, the fastest growing sectors of the economy are in health care, computers and information technology. To have a real shot at a job in those sectors, workers need a college credential of some form such as an industry-recognized skills certificate or an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.

The surest way to make the proven benefits of higher education available to everyone is to make college tuition-free for low and middle-income students at public colleges, and the federal government should help make that happen.

Morley Winograd is president of the Campaign for Free College Tuition . Max Lubin is CEO of Rise , a student-led nonprofit organization advocating for free college.  

The opinions in this commentary are those of the author. Commentaries published on EdSource represent diverse viewpoints about California’s public education systems. If you would like to submit a commentary, please review our  guidelines  and  contact us .

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Genia Curtsinger 2 years ago 2 years ago

Making community college free to those who meet the admission requirements would help many people. First of all, it would make it easy for students and families, for instance; you go to college and have to pay thousands of dollars to get a college education, but if community college is free it would help so you could be saving money and get a college education for free, with no cost at all. It would make … Read More

Making community college free to those who meet the admission requirements would help many people. First of all, it would make it easy for students and families, for instance; you go to college and have to pay thousands of dollars to get a college education, but if community college is free it would help so you could be saving money and get a college education for free, with no cost at all. It would make it more affordable to the student and their families.

Therefore I think people should have free education for those who meet the admission requirements.

nothing 2 years ago 2 years ago

I feel like colleges shouldn’t be completely free, but a lot more affordable for people so everyone can have a chance to have a good college education.

Jaden Wendover 2 years ago 2 years ago

I think all colleges should be free, because why would you pay to learn?

Samantha Cole 3 years ago 3 years ago

I think college should be free because there are a lot of people that want to go to college but they can’t pay for it so they don’t go and end up in jail or working as a waitress or in a convenience store. I know I want to go to college but I can’t because my family doesn’t make enough money to send me to college but my family makes too much for financial aid.

Nick Gurrs 3 years ago 3 years ago

I feel like this subject has a lot of answers, For me personally, I believe tuition and college, in general, should be free because it will help students get out of debt and not have debt, and because it will help people who are struggling in life to get a job and make a living off a job.

NO 3 years ago 3 years ago

I think college tuition should be free. A lot of adults want to go to college and finish their education but can’t partly because they can’t afford to. Some teens need to work at a young age just so they can save money for college which I feel they shouldn’t have to. If people don’t want to go to college then they just can work and go on with their lives.

Not saying my name 3 years ago 3 years ago

I think college tuition should be free because people drop out because they can’t pay the tuition to get into college and then they can’t graduate and live a good life and they won’t get a job because it says they dropped out of school. So it would be harder to get a job and if the tuition wasn’t a thing, people would live an awesome life because of this.

Brisa 3 years ago 3 years ago

I’m not understanding. Are we not agreeing that college should be free, or are we?

m 3 years ago 3 years ago

it shouldnt

Trevor Everhart 3 years ago 3 years ago

What do you mean by there is no such thing as free tuition?

Olga Snichernacs 3 years ago 3 years ago

Nice! I enjoyed reading.

Anonymous Cat 4 years ago 4 years ago

Tuition-Free: Free tuition, or sometimes tuition free is a phrase you have heard probably a good number of times. … Therefore, free tuition to put it simply is the opportunity provide to students by select universities around the world to received a degree from their institution without paying any sum of money for the teaching.

Mister B 4 years ago 4 years ago

There is no such thing as tuition free.

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Education Should Be Free Essay

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Education Should Be Free Essay: Education is the key to personal growth and societal progress. It empowers individuals with knowledge, critical thinking skills, and opportunities, enabling them to fulfill their potential and contribute positively to their communities. Education is the foundation upon which a brighter and more equitable future is built. However, the cost of education can often be a significant barrier to accessing knowledge and opportunities.

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Free education is essential as it breaks down financial barriers, ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills. It empowers individuals, promotes social equality, and contributes to a more educated and prosperous society, ultimately fostering progress and innovation. In this article, we’ll explore the idea that education should be free and provide sample essays of varying lengths to support this argument.

Education Should Be Free Essay 1: 150 Words

The concept of free education is rooted in the belief that access to knowledge should not be limited by one’s ability to pay. Education is not just a personal benefit but a societal one, as it leads to a more informed and empowered citizenry. When education is free, it breaks down economic barriers and opens doors to countless opportunities. One of the key advantages of free education is the reduction of inequality. It levels the playing field, enabling individuals from diverse backgrounds to access the same quality of education. This fosters social mobility, where talent and effort are the primary determinants of success.

Furthermore, free education has economic benefits. A well-educated workforce is more likely to contribute to a nation’s economic growth. It leads to a higher-skilled labor market, innovation, and increased productivity, all of which are vital for a nation’s competitiveness on the global stage.

In conclusion, the idea of free education is not just an idealistic notion but a practical and necessary step for societal progress. It promotes equality, empowers individuals, and strengthens economies, making it a worthwhile investment for any nation.

Essay on Education Should Be Free 2: 250 Words

Education is often referred to as the great equalizer, a means by which individuals can overcome socio-economic disparities and achieve their full potential. However, the rising costs of education have created barriers for many, limiting their access to this invaluable resource. This essay argues that education should be free, as it benefits not only individuals but society as a whole.

First and foremost, free education promotes equality and social mobility. It ensures that every person, regardless of their financial background, has the opportunity to pursue higher education. This levels the playing field and allows individuals to advance based on their merit and hard work rather than their financial resources.

Moreover, free education has economic advantages. A well-educated workforce is essential for a nation’s economic growth and competitiveness. It leads to higher productivity, innovation, and a more skilled labor market. When education is accessible to all, it contributes to a stronger and more prosperous economy.

Furthermore, free education benefits society by fostering an informed and engaged citizenry. Educated individuals are more likely to participate in civic activities, make informed decisions, and contribute positively to their communities. They are also better equipped to address societal challenges and drive innovation.

Critics may argue that free education is costly for governments, but the long-term benefits far outweigh the initial investment. Studies have shown that the economic returns from an educated workforce more than compensate for the costs of providing free education.

In conclusion, education should be free because it is a fundamental right and a public good. It promotes equality, social mobility, economic growth, and civic engagement. By making education accessible to all, we invest in a brighter and more prosperous future for individuals and society as a whole.

Education Should Be Free Essay 3 – 400 Words

Education is often regarded as the cornerstone of personal and societal development. It equips individuals with knowledge, skills, and opportunities that can transform lives and contribute to the betterment of society as a whole. However, the cost of education can be a formidable barrier for many, limiting access and perpetuating inequalities. In this essay, we will argue why education should be free, focusing on the benefits it offers to individuals and society.

First and foremost, free education promotes equality of opportunity. It ensures that individuals from all backgrounds, regardless of their economic circumstances, have the same access to quality education. When education is not contingent on one’s ability to pay, it levels the playing field, allowing talent and effort to be the primary determinants of success. This results in a more equitable society where everyone has a fair chance to achieve their aspirations.

Furthermore, free education is an investment in human capital and economic growth. A well-educated workforce is essential for a nation’s prosperity. It leads to increased productivity, innovation, and competitiveness on the global stage. When individuals are educated, they are more likely to contribute positively to the workforce, driving economic development and reducing dependency on social welfare programs.

Additionally, free education benefits society by fostering an informed and engaged citizenry. Educated individuals are more likely to participate in civic activities, make informed decisions, and contribute to their communities. They are equipped to address societal challenges, advocate for positive change, and drive innovation in various fields.

Critics may argue that providing free education is financially burdensome for governments. However, studies have shown that the long-term economic returns from an educated populace far outweigh the initial costs. Moreover, free education can be funded through various means, such as progressive taxation or reallocating budget priorities, ensuring that it is a sustainable and worthwhile investment.

In conclusion, education should be free because it is a fundamental right and a public good. It promotes equality, social mobility, economic growth, and civic engagement. By making education accessible to all, we empower individuals to reach their full potential and contribute to a more equitable and prosperous society. Free education is not just an idealistic notion but a practical necessity for building a brighter and more inclusive future for individuals and society as a whole.

Education Should Be Free Essay 4: 500 Words

Education is the key to personal and societal advancement. It has the power to transform lives, break the cycle of poverty, and pave the way for a more equitable and prosperous society. However, the cost of education has become a significant barrier for many, limiting access to knowledge and opportunities. In this essay, we will make a compelling case for why education should be free, discussing the benefits it brings to individuals and society at large.

Equality of Opportunity

One of the most compelling arguments in favor of free education is its role in promoting equality of opportunity. Education should not be a privilege reserved for those who can afford it; it should be a universal right. When education is free, it ensures that individuals from all socio-economic backgrounds have the same access to quality learning. This levels the playing field, allowing talent and determination to be the primary factors in achieving success. It ensures that no one is left behind simply because of their financial circumstances.

Economic Prosperity

Free education is not just a social justice issue; it is also an economic imperative. A well-educated workforce is essential for a nation’s economic growth and competitiveness in the global arena. When individuals have access to higher education without the burden of crushing student debt, they are more likely to pursue careers that align with their passions and skills. This leads to increased productivity, innovation, and a more dynamic labor market.

Furthermore, educated individuals tend to earn higher incomes over their lifetimes, which, in turn, results in increased tax revenues for the government. This revenue can be reinvested in education and other critical public services, creating a positive feedback loop that benefits society as a whole.

Informed and Engaged Citizens

Education is not just about acquiring knowledge; it is also about fostering critical thinking and civic engagement. Educated individuals are more likely to participate in civic activities, vote in elections, and make informed decisions. They have the tools to analyze complex issues, advocate for positive change, and contribute meaningfully to their communities.

Education also plays a pivotal role in addressing societal challenges. It equips individuals with the skills and knowledge needed to tackle pressing issues such as climate change, healthcare disparities, and social inequality. By investing in education, we empower a new generation to be the problem solvers and change-makers of tomorrow.

Financial Feasibility

Critics often argue that providing free education is financially unsustainable. However, numerous studies have shown that the long-term economic benefits far outweigh the initial costs. Moreover, there are various ways to fund free education, such as implementing progressive taxation or reallocating budget priorities.

Additionally, countries that have already implemented free or heavily subsidized education models have seen positive outcomes. For example, in countries like Germany and Finland, where higher education is largely free, they have not only achieved high levels of educational attainment but also maintained robust economies.

In conclusion, education should be free because it is a fundamental human right and a powerful catalyst for individual and societal progress. Free education promotes equality of opportunity, fosters economic prosperity, and nurtures informed and engaged citizens. It is a wise investment that benefits not only individuals but also society as a whole.

By making education accessible to all, we empower individuals to reach their full potential and contribute positively to their communities. In a world where knowledge is an essential currency, free education is not just an idealistic aspiration; it is a practical necessity for building a brighter and more inclusive future for individuals and society as a whole.

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FAQs on Education Should Be Free Essay

Should education be free.

Yes, education should be free because it promotes equality of opportunity, fosters economic growth, and empowers individuals to contribute to society.

Can education be made free in India?

While achieving entirely free education in India may be challenging, there are ways to reduce the financial burden on students and make education more affordable through government subsidies, scholarships, and policy reforms.

Why is free education required in our society?

Free education is required in our society to ensure that knowledge and opportunities are accessible to all, regardless of their financial background. It reduces inequality, fosters economic development, and empowers individuals to become informed, engaged citizens who can address societal challenges and contribute positively to their communities.

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• Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-warnings-from-democrats-about-project-2025-and-donald-trump

Fact-checking warnings from Democrats about Project 2025 and Donald Trump

This fact check originally appeared on PolitiFact .

Project 2025 has a starring role in this week’s Democratic National Convention.

And it was front and center on Night 1.

WATCH: Hauling large copy of Project 2025, Michigan state Sen. McMorrow speaks at 2024 DNC

“This is Project 2025,” Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, said as she laid a hardbound copy of the 900-page document on the lectern. “Over the next four nights, you are going to hear a lot about what is in this 900-page document. Why? Because this is the Republican blueprint for a second Trump term.”

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has warned Americans about “Trump’s Project 2025” agenda — even though former President Donald Trump doesn’t claim the conservative presidential transition document.

“Donald Trump wants to take our country backward,” Harris said July 23 in Milwaukee. “He and his extreme Project 2025 agenda will weaken the middle class. Like, we know we got to take this seriously, and can you believe they put that thing in writing?”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, has joined in on the talking point.

“Don’t believe (Trump) when he’s playing dumb about this Project 2025. He knows exactly what it’ll do,” Walz said Aug. 9 in Glendale, Arizona.

Trump’s campaign has worked to build distance from the project, which the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, led with contributions from dozens of conservative groups.

Much of the plan calls for extensive executive-branch overhauls and draws on both long-standing conservative principles, such as tax cuts, and more recent culture war issues. It lays out recommendations for disbanding the Commerce and Education departments, eliminating certain climate protections and consolidating more power to the president.

Project 2025 offers a sweeping vision for a Republican-led executive branch, and some of its policies mirror Trump’s 2024 agenda, But Harris and her presidential campaign have at times gone too far in describing what the project calls for and how closely the plans overlap with Trump’s campaign.

PolitiFact researched Harris’ warnings about how the plan would affect reproductive rights, federal entitlement programs and education, just as we did for President Joe Biden’s Project 2025 rhetoric. Here’s what the project does and doesn’t call for, and how it squares with Trump’s positions.

Are Trump and Project 2025 connected?

To distance himself from Project 2025 amid the Democratic attacks, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he “knows nothing” about it and has “no idea” who is in charge of it. (CNN identified at least 140 former advisers from the Trump administration who have been involved.)

The Heritage Foundation sought contributions from more than 100 conservative organizations for its policy vision for the next Republican presidency, which was published in 2023.

Project 2025 is now winding down some of its policy operations, and director Paul Dans, a former Trump administration official, is stepping down, The Washington Post reported July 30. Trump campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita denounced the document.

WATCH: A look at the Project 2025 plan to reshape government and Trump’s links to its authors

However, Project 2025 contributors include a number of high-ranking officials from Trump’s first administration, including former White House adviser Peter Navarro and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.

A recently released recording of Russell Vought, a Project 2025 author and the former director of Trump’s Office of Management and Budget, showed Vought saying Trump’s “very supportive of what we do.” He said Trump was only distancing himself because Democrats were making a bogeyman out of the document.

Project 2025 wouldn’t ban abortion outright, but would curtail access

The Harris campaign shared a graphic on X that claimed “Trump’s Project 2025 plan for workers” would “go after birth control and ban abortion nationwide.”

The plan doesn’t call to ban abortion nationwide, though its recommendations could curtail some contraceptives and limit abortion access.

What’s known about Trump’s abortion agenda neither lines up with Harris’ description nor Project 2025’s wish list.

Project 2025 says the Department of Health and Human Services Department should “return to being known as the Department of Life by explicitly rejecting the notion that abortion is health care.”

It recommends that the Food and Drug Administration reverse its 2000 approval of mifepristone, the first pill taken in a two-drug regimen for a medication abortion. Medication is the most common form of abortion in the U.S. — accounting for around 63 percent in 2023.

If mifepristone were to remain approved, Project 2025 recommends new rules, such as cutting its use from 10 weeks into pregnancy to seven. It would have to be provided to patients in person — part of the group’s efforts to limit access to the drug by mail. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a legal challenge to mifepristone’s FDA approval over procedural grounds.

WATCH: Trump’s plans for health care and reproductive rights if he returns to White House The manual also calls for the Justice Department to enforce the 1873 Comstock Act on mifepristone, which bans the mailing of “obscene” materials. Abortion access supporters fear that a strict interpretation of the law could go further to ban mailing the materials used in procedural abortions, such as surgical instruments and equipment.

The plan proposes withholding federal money from states that don’t report to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention how many abortions take place within their borders. The plan also would prohibit abortion providers, such as Planned Parenthood, from receiving Medicaid funds. It also calls for the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure that the training of medical professionals, including doctors and nurses, omits abortion training.

The document says some forms of emergency contraception — particularly Ella, a pill that can be taken within five days of unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy — should be excluded from no-cost coverage. The Affordable Care Act requires most private health insurers to cover recommended preventive services, which involves a range of birth control methods, including emergency contraception.

Trump has recently said states should decide abortion regulations and that he wouldn’t block access to contraceptives. Trump said during his June 27 debate with Biden that he wouldn’t ban mifepristone after the Supreme Court “approved” it. But the court rejected the lawsuit based on standing, not the case’s merits. He has not weighed in on the Comstock Act or said whether he supports it being used to block abortion medication, or other kinds of abortions.

Project 2025 doesn’t call for cutting Social Security, but proposes some changes to Medicare

“When you read (Project 2025),” Harris told a crowd July 23 in Wisconsin, “you will see, Donald Trump intends to cut Social Security and Medicare.”

The Project 2025 document does not call for Social Security cuts. None of its 10 references to Social Security addresses plans for cutting the program.

Harris also misleads about Trump’s Social Security views.

In his earlier campaigns and before he was a politician, Trump said about a half-dozen times that he’s open to major overhauls of Social Security, including cuts and privatization. More recently, in a March 2024 CNBC interview, Trump said of entitlement programs such as Social Security, “There’s a lot you can do in terms of entitlements, in terms of cutting.” However, he quickly walked that statement back, and his CNBC comment stands at odds with essentially everything else Trump has said during the 2024 presidential campaign.

Trump’s campaign website says that not “a single penny” should be cut from Social Security. We rated Harris’ claim that Trump intends to cut Social Security Mostly False.

Project 2025 does propose changes to Medicare, including making Medicare Advantage, the private insurance offering in Medicare, the “default” enrollment option. Unlike Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans have provider networks and can also require prior authorization, meaning that the plan can approve or deny certain services. Original Medicare plans don’t have prior authorization requirements.

The manual also calls for repealing health policies enacted under Biden, such as the Inflation Reduction Act. The law enabled Medicare to negotiate with drugmakers for the first time in history, and recently resulted in an agreement with drug companies to lower the prices of 10 expensive prescriptions for Medicare enrollees.

Trump, however, has said repeatedly during the 2024 presidential campaign that he will not cut Medicare.

Project 2025 would eliminate the Education Department, which Trump supports

The Harris campaign said Project 2025 would “eliminate the U.S. Department of Education” — and that’s accurate. Project 2025 says federal education policy “should be limited and, ultimately, the federal Department of Education should be eliminated.” The plan scales back the federal government’s role in education policy and devolves the functions that remain to other agencies.

Aside from eliminating the department, the project also proposes scrapping the Biden administration’s Title IX revision, which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It also would let states opt out of federal education programs and calls for passing a federal parents’ bill of rights similar to ones passed in some Republican-led state legislatures.

Republicans, including Trump, have pledged to close the department, which gained its status in 1979 within Democratic President Jimmy Carter’s presidential Cabinet.

In one of his Agenda 47 policy videos, Trump promised to close the department and “to send all education work and needs back to the states.” Eliminating the department would have to go through Congress.

What Project 2025, Trump would do on overtime pay

In the graphic, the Harris campaign says Project 2025 allows “employers to stop paying workers for overtime work.”

The plan doesn’t call for banning overtime wages. It recommends changes to some Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, regulations and to overtime rules. Some changes, if enacted, could result in some people losing overtime protections, experts told us.

The document proposes that the Labor Department maintain an overtime threshold “that does not punish businesses in lower-cost regions (e.g., the southeast United States).” This threshold is the amount of money executive, administrative or professional employees need to make for an employer to exempt them from overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

In 2019, the Trump’s administration finalized a rule that expanded overtime pay eligibility to most salaried workers earning less than about $35,568, which it said made about 1.3 million more workers eligible for overtime pay. The Trump-era threshold is high enough to cover most line workers in lower-cost regions, Project 2025 said.

The Biden administration raised that threshold to $43,888 beginning July 1, and that will rise to $58,656 on Jan. 1, 2025. That would grant overtime eligibility to about 4 million workers, the Labor Department said.

It’s unclear how many workers Project 2025’s proposal to return to the Trump-era overtime threshold in some parts of the country would affect, but experts said some would presumably lose the right to overtime wages.

Other overtime proposals in Project 2025’s plan include allowing some workers to choose to accumulate paid time off instead of overtime pay, or to work more hours in one week and fewer in the next, rather than receive overtime.

Trump’s past with overtime pay is complicated. In 2016, the Obama administration said it would raise the overtime to salaried workers earning less than $47,476 a year, about double the exemption level set in 2004 of $23,660 a year.

But when a judge blocked the Obama rule, the Trump administration didn’t challenge the court ruling. Instead it set its own overtime threshold, which raised the amount, but by less than Obama.

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Career resources for every major, fall 2024

Five career resources every uc student should know as they begin the new semester.

Next lives here at the University of Cincinnati. With a co-op program ranked Top 5 in the nation, it’s easy to see why so many students choose UC. Whether you’re just getting started on an undergraduate degree or completing your final year of a graduate program, the  College of Cooperative Education and Professional Studies  at the University of Cincinnati offers the support, tools, and opportunities for all students to be successful after graduation. 

Here are five career resources every UC student should know about as they begin the fall semester. 

1. Handshake Career Portal

Handshake  is the career platform used by the University of Cincinnati where students can search for and apply to jobs, connect with employers, and learn about career fairs and other on-campus employer events.  Log in with your UC username and password.

2. Career Fairs and Employer Events

UC hosts several career fairs and employer events to support students in their professional development. 

A few fall career fairs are listed below. To view the complete list of fairs and employer events,  login to Handshake , and select "Events" from the left-hand navigation. Read  How to Prepare for a Career Fair  to learn what to expect.

University of Cincinnati Part-Time Job Fair

Wednesday, Sept. 4, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Tangeman University Center, Great Hall Find immediate openings for paid, part-time jobs and internships on and near UC's main (Clifton) campus. Replace with your text

Kroger Career Day

Thursday, Sept. 12, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Various locations throughout campus Discover exciting career opportunities with Kroger and 84.51˚ during Kroger Career Day, an exclusive on-campus recruiting event at the University of Cincinnati. Connect with UC alumni and recruiters to explore how you can pursue a career at one of the world’s largest retailers and top employers! Swag, networking, and employment information for nearly every major.

UC Professional and Technical Career Fair

Sept. 17-19, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Campus Recreation Center and TUC Great Hall UC Business and A&S students should stop by Professional Day on Sep. 17. UC Engineers, Applied Sciences, and IT students are invited to attend Technical Days, Sep. 18-19. Employers will be recruiting students for co-ops, internships and full-time permanent positions.

E2C Fall 2024: Coffee + Connections

Friday, Sept. 27, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. DAAP  DAAP students can meet with employers who are eager to fill co-op positions.

3. Bearcat Promise Career Studio

The  Bearcat Promise Career Studio  is a place where all UC students can get help writing their resume, updating a professional online profile, searching for jobs, or exploring career options. Visit the Career Studio,  located in Tangeman University Center Room 310, next to the PNC Bank, or virtually during  walk-in hours . 

Career Services are also available at UC Clermont, UC Blue Ash, and Lindner College of Business. Students should contact their  college career offices  to learn more.  

Welcome Back from the Bearcat Promise Career Studio

Friday, Sept. 6, 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. Bearcat Promise Career Studio (TUC 310) Meet our amazing Peer Career Coaches, graduate assistants, and professional staff members. Stop by around 2 p.m. to meet Bearcat and have your photo taken with him!

4. Free Professional Headshots and Private Interview Booths

Photo booth inside career studio

UC’s  headshot photo  booth is located inside the Career Studio (TUC 310). It’s free, easy to use, and delivers digital images to your inbox within 10 minutes. Stop by during drop-in hours for your free professional photo.

The Career Studio’s four  private interview booths  provide a quiet space with noise-dampening walls so students do not have to worry about interruptions. Two booths are set up for remote interviews only while the other two can be used for remote or face-to-face sessions.

Students can stop by the Career Studio during walk-in hours for a free, professional headshot. To reserve one of the private interview booths, email the  Career Studio  ([email protected]) or call 513-556-0381.

5. Virtual Resume Review and Interview Practice

BigInterview is a virtual  interview practice  tool that mimics a real-life job interview. It combines training with practice to help improve interview skills and build confidence. It also has an AI-powered  resume review  tool.

BigInterview is free for UC students and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Featured image at top of UC student on co-op at 84.51. Photo credit/Lisa Ventre/University of Cincinnati

Don’t leave career planning to the final months of your studies. The earlier you start, the more successful you'll be when you graduate.

• College of Cooperative Education and Professional Studies
• Experience-based Learning
• School of Information Technology

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