This program would essentially make the first two years of a college education a basic American right — aligning it with universal access to a K-12 education. Of course there would be some requirements for having access to that right and it would not be mandatory, but the basic premise would be the same: free education for any American student.
There are individual benefits for sure, but the ultimate goal of such a lofty program would be to elevate the status of the United States in the world economy, keeping the U.S. workforce competitive and sharp.
Arguably this plan helps every person with higher education aspirations — after all, more Americans with access to a college education means a stronger economy. In addition, less college debt means more money in the pockets of college graduates that they can then pump back into the economy.
Proponents of the plan say that it will particularly help minorities when it comes to college attendance because it removes the cost barrier that tends to discourage these groups from enrolling. Educators know how difficult it can be to get minorities to the high school graduation point; asking these students to then pay for a college education right afterward is even more daunting. Free tuition would theoretically take away that issue.
I say that access to free community college will not actually help minorities — at least not on its own. The financial burden of college is a big one but there are accompanying issues to consider as well.
Free K-12 education isn’t working
