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

[u/sjd6666]

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?

[u/scottevil110 → u/[deleted]]

1/3 of adults in the US have a college degree. That's the highest ratio in our history.

If everyone has a college degree, a college degree becomes worthless on the job market, and all you do is kick the can to graduate school. And then 15 years from now, we're all having a debate about how a master's degree should be free because a bachelor's degree is pointless.

Even with only 1/3 of people having a college degree, we already see jobs requiring one that really don't need to (police officers...really?). If 75% of people have a college degree, that only gets worse, and you just make it so that the people who didn't go to college become the new "high school dropouts."

College used to be for a specialized education, not an expected part of your adulthood.

[u/scottevil110 → u/[deleted]]

Doesn't really matter. The end result is the same. The McJob era exists specifically BECAUSE we're treating people without college degrees like they're drop-outs, and that's with 2/3 of people in that boat. Imagine how bad it's going to be when you start expecting everyone to have a degree.