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Obama threw out this idea last year and promoted free community college. Knowing that it had no chance, that is.
As the election season is heating up and with his national popularity growing, Bernie Sanders has also been busy touting the free college rhetoric for all 4-year universities. Seems like this idea has been taking off in recent years especially with student loan debt ranking just behind credit card debt.
Do you support the left's idea of free college tuition? Good or bad for America?
No..most Americans that enter college end up dropping out. Would be a waste of taxpayer dollar.
And God forbid we only pay for those that are truly "college ready". We'd let everyone go to college including the illegals.
I would need a few caveats first though. First, we need to examine college student debt. We need to know exactly how much of the debt went to the payment of tuition, books, fees. We need to know how much was spent on "other" things. I remember when tuition "refund" checks were cut in the first week of school when I was in college. People waited in line for hours to get theirs. What do you think they spent it on? Calculus tutors? Buy a new TI-83? Sure, yeah right. If we "pay" for college for everyone, then that would be a mistake. Maybe tuition for free (otherwise known as scholarships) might be something to "think" about. But, for everyone? No chance.
I would support it for the top third of the nation. High achievers. Not everyone belongs in college. Not everyone needs college. Not everyone completes college. Not every WANTS to go to college. And, if "someone" else is paying for it, then that "someone" else decides which majors people that are getting free can go into. Certain percentages go to STEM, certain (way lower percentages) go to Business, Education, etc and then a tiny small percentage goes to anything from the liberal arts soft social sciences arena.
The rest (2/3 of the people) should go on to varying degrees of trade school based on their ability.
Empty campaign slogans sure do work on the lumprentariat though don't they? Sheesh.
Last edited by TrafficCory; 07-21-2015 at 10:39 AM..
No..most Americans that enter college end up dropping out. Would be a waste of taxpayer dollar.
And God forbid we only pay for those that are truly "college ready". We'd let everyone go to college including the illegals.
Yup. There would he cries of discrimination if we tried to send only those who are college ready and only our own citizens. It would cost too much if we sent everyone and tax dollars would be wasted on those who never finish. If they're not motivated to do the work when they are paying for it how much less will motivated will they be when it's free?
I would be for a program that paid back student debt for those who go into high demand fields and finish their degrees.
Quite a few years ago, there was one state that did offer two years free. People complained when they started putting in a $50-per-year tuition.
While I don't know much about B. Sanders, and wouldn't consider it a 'left' position, yes, I believe two years of tuition-free education would be a VERY good idea. Actually, I've had this opinion for many years.
However, similar to what another poster said, there can be various reasons a person isn't geared for college, so I think the same "freebie" should apply to vo-tech for students who want to learn a trade instead.
I would need a few caveats first though. First, we need to examine college student debt. We need to know exactly how much of the debt went to the payment of tuition, books, fees. We need to know how much was spent on "other" things. I remember when tuition "refund" checks were cut in the first week of school when I was in college. People waited in line for hours to get theirs. What do you think they spent it on? Calculus tutors? Buy a new TI-83? Sure, yeah right. If we "pay" for college for everyone, then that would be a mistake. Maybe tuition for free (otherwise known as scholarships) might be something to "think" about. But, for everyone? No chance.
I would support it for the top third of the nation. High achievers. Not everyone belongs in college. Not everyone needs college. Not everyone completes college. Not every WANTS to go to college. And, if "someone" else is paying for it, then that "someone" else decides which majors people that are getting free can go into. Certain percentages go to STEM, certain (way lower percentages) go to Business, Education, etc and then a tiny small percentage goes to anything from the liberal arts soft social sciences arena.
The rest should go on to varying degrees of trade school based on their ability.
Empty campaign slogans sure do work on the lumprentariat though don't they? Sheesh.
You don't get your caveats.
Sanders plan is to eliminate college tuition completely.
He's gonna tax Wall Street transactions to pay for this.
That means when you invest your money in your IRA or 401K or your pension money gets invested you "contribute" your fair share to give everyone in America a college education.
While I don't know much about B. Sanders, and wouldn't consider it a 'left' position
I considered it a left-position because Green Party's Jill Stein ran on free tuition in the 2012 election. Now it has been adopted by progressive Sanders.
No..most Americans that enter college end up dropping out. Would be a waste of taxpayer dollar.
And God forbid we only pay for those that are truly "college ready". We'd let everyone go to college including the illegals.
Perhaps most Americans end up dropping out because they cannot afford it.
For what reason? A college education is not a right. It is not even necessary.
If young people are not graduating HS with the skills required to enter the workforce, fix it. If there are not enough decent paying jobs, than explore why.
There are far better uses for the resources and money that would be used to further educate the masses. Besides, tax payers are already paying for all the public libraries that are going underutilized. You can learn anything you want in there for free.
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