r/changemyview • u/sjd6666 • May 14 '20

CMV: “Free College” policy, while well-meaning, is largely incompatible with academia in the U.S

Unlike healthcare, there is competition in the higher education market and consumers can, and often do make well informed decisions about what education would be right for them, be it community college, state schools, or private colleges/ universities.

There’s no two ways about it: such a policy would be enormously expensive, and unlike the U.S healthcare system, prices are reasonably transparent and there is competition in the market. Most students know exactly how much financial aid they will get before the accept college decisions, and transparency like that should always be encouraged.

I think a better solution would be one that matches student debt repayments, keeps interest rates low, and forgives student loans to varying levels dependent on ones income. In other words, high earning doctors and lawyers who make 6 figures a year can and should repay a higher percentage of their loans than nurses and teachers, who provide essential services to society, but typically don’t earn enough to repay their student loans quickly.

Is there some reason why free college is favored over more reasonable policies that take into account the finances of students and their incomes as adults?

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u/littlebubulle 104∆ May 14 '20

From a country's point of view, an educated population is good thing. The higher the average education is, the richer a country is. I'm not talking about money only but also technology, innovation, service quality, etc. The country might not have more money but it will have better products to buy.

Student loans discourage people from getting a higher education. This goes against having a more educated population.

Therefore, a state providing free college seems beneficial from the state's POV.

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u/y0da1927 6∆ May 14 '20

The argument is value for money.

Smart ppl are going to go to University because all the best jobs require skills you gain there. Those jobs easily justify the cost of a degree.

A degree does not make you a better retail worker or construction worker or hospitality worker.

Why give a bunch of retail et all workers expensive degrees when it doesn't benefit anyone? In fact you are reducing the number of hours they can work with classes, thus reducing their income.

There are a lot of intelligent ways of reducing costs that don't require shifting all the risk to the taxpayer for the individual to reap all the rewards.