College for Free? Yes, Please!
Want to go to college, but wish you could avoid paying tuition?
Yes, you can! Schools throughout the country offer free tuition to admitted students. But always…read the fine print! Students may have to come from a particular state or region or have a low-income background. Some schools require on-campus work or service after graduation. And most still charge room, board, and other fees, so they may not be completely free.
Tuition-Free College is Critical to Our Economy
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.
Establishing free college tuition benefits for more Americans would be the 21st-century equivalent of the Depression-era Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) 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.
Today, free college tuition programs help mitigate the system’s current inequalities by increasing college enrollment, lowering dependence on student loan debt and improving completion rates.
The fastest growing sectors of our economy are in health care, computers and information technology. To have an opportunity 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. And 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.
College Student Debt
Many college students begin their careers with significant debt. Many of them can't afford to take an unpaid internship, which could help put their career on an upward trajectory. In 2018, due to the high cost of attending college, the total amount of American student loan debt was over $1.4 trillion, with about 11.2% of borrowers are behind on their loans.
According to a Harvard University study, due to the high cost of a college education and other factors, American college students leave college without a degree at higher rates than other developed countries. All the more reason to check out tuition-free schools.
Top Schools
Top colleges have become more generous with issuing grants. They don't want to pass up on exceptional students who may go on to have notable careers. US military academies offer free tuition in exchange for military service. And most Ivy League schools provide free tuition and other financial assistance for students from families with an income below a specific threshold. All of the Ivy League schools have a “no-loans” policy; they provide grants instead of loans.
Yale's Drama School Goes Tuition-Free
Entertainment mogul David Geffen donated $150 million to Yale University, a gift that will cover tuition for drama students at the Ivy League campus from this point forward. Geffen is one of the nation's most prolific philanthropists, donating millions each year to health, education and cultural efforts. Yale President Peter Salovey said he hopes the massive gift will open doors to a greater pool of students coming to study drama at the New Haven, Connecticut, school.
“It is exciting to think about what will be made possible by increasing access to a premier theater education at Yale. Our students help drive creativity and innovation across all fields – during their time at Yale and after they graduate. So, David’s transformative gift will have a ripple effect in our community and around the world.”
This “ripple effect” applies not just to Yale, but to higher education altogether. The smarter we all are, the father we can go, and the better we can make ourselves, our families, our neighbors and friends, and our country.
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