If the US gave free college tuition...

[Mwizzle]

would they make it harder for you to get in? And will universities get rid of the absolutely useless majors that people go 100k+ into debt for?

I heard (but not sure) in Europe it's harder to get into a uni than it is in the US, and they don't have as many BS programs as we do with them having a higher focus on STEM. In Germany per semester they charge an average of around $170-$280 <----Fuarkk could the US do the same?

[cyanotikat]

<----Fuarkk could the US do the same?

No because they would lose their payback on ridiculous federal loans, and Sallie Mae and private lenders probably wouldn't exist except for grad students! Dis corporate amerika yo.

Side note: was considering getting a green card and getting my doctorates in Zurich https://www.ethz.ch/en/doctorate.html . Brb free.

[Rnewms]

There would definitely have to be some more stipulations if college were to be free. Otherwise a lot of money would be wasted giving people unproductive degrees. They've gotta make sure there is actually a return on that investment and that uni degrees don't become worthless as a result. Regardless, college is way too expensive as it is. Vocational training would be a better investment for most people nowadays.

[Mooch121]

Nothing will or should ever be 'free'

[1010101]

would they make it harder for you to get in? And will universities get rid of the absolutely useless majors that people go 100k+ into debt for?

I heard (but not sure) in Europe it's harder to get into a uni than it is in the US, and they don't have as many BS programs as we do with them having a higher focus on STEM. In Germany per semester they charge an average of around $170-$280 <----Fuarkk could the US do the same?

It would have to be harder to get in to Universities. People that planned on going to school for art might consider engineering so admissions would be tight if thousands of more students were applying for the same program at a certain university.
If college was free would they reimburse anyone that graduated when college was not free?

[MidnightHawk]

How about public schools? Those are free for up to 12 grades.

Not really. Public schools run at a huge cost to taxpayers plus add in all the programs where extra money from home HAS to be spent every year THEN think of all the extra programs kids take part in to raise even more money. I doubt I would call public school free, not by a long shot.

The figure in the amount of knuckleheads who drop out after 8-11 years of supposed free schooling that require funding to feed and house.

[Kraken]

Brb, so many people with degrees there would be no jobs. If college becomes free, people will need a PHd at the min to get anywhere in their careers

We are already in the middle of a student loan bubble because of all the graduates that can't find jobs, or at least, one worthy of a college degree. Then they will ask for college to be dumbed down because it's too challenging for the majority. What do we have then? We have repeated what happened to the public school system; failing

Lastly, the great thing about the student loan bubble is that it's not America's debt, it's the individual's debt. If you make it everyone's debt, then our national deficit really goes in the ****ter and someone is going to want a pay out, and that means more recession or, at least, a hit to the economy

[1010101]

No because they would lose their payback on ridiculous federal loans, and Sallie Mae and private lenders probably wouldn't exist except for grad students! Dis corporate amerika yo.

So many students are already depending on loan forgiveness which you can't apply for until you made 10 years of payments which is 10 years of minimum payments 50$ with sky rocketing interest. Inb4 student loan market crash, brb 80% of students not planning on paying back student loans

[PurpleAngus]

Nothing will or should ever be 'free'

no such thing as a free lunch!

[doiliftbro]

Not really. Public schools run at a huge cost to taxpayers plus add in all the programs where extra money from home HAS to be spent every year THEN think of all the extra programs kids take part in to raise even more money. I doubt I would call public school free, not by a long shot.

The figure in the amount of knuckleheads who drop out after 8-11 years of supposed free schooling that require funding to feed and house.

this +1

[Rnewms]

How about public schools? Those are free for up to 12 grades.

We're talking about higher education. There is still a necessity for everyone to have basic education so that we're not a nation of idiots, but universities should be meant to produce scholars and teach specialized fields. I don't see why this should be completely free for anyone wanting to study art for example. It might not be a problem if everyone went into something useful but that's not the case.

[MidnightHawk]

I meant free as in no yearly tuition like the private schools.

Ah ...ok.

[blindsideflank]

You pay but get reimbursed each semester as you pass. Even if people count on passing and they don't then they are only in the hole 1 semester.
Plus you gotta have more reasonable tuition rates to begin with (like canada)

Mandatory government service built into these programs too (relevant to the field)
The free labour (or pay peanuts) counters the cost of the free education and gives real life experience in their field

Education is how you invest in a country

[gibbypoo]

no such thing as a free lunch!

My man

[Chesso95]

won't make much of a difference

avg student loan debt in Sweden where college is entirely free + you get paid $330 usd/month no strings attached: $19 000
avg student loan debt in America: $27 000

[Emilos12]

won't make much of a difference

avg student loan debt in Sweden where college is entirely free + you get paid $330 usd/month no strings attached: $19 000
avg student loan debt in America: $27 000

lol what, how do you get that much debt with no tuition?

[badlasagna]

if you can't put yourself through college in today's world, then there's not much good a degree would do for you. you're better off starting work as a landscaper or garbage man, srs.

[arn710]

The U.S. needs to have a complete redraw of the K-12 system before it even thinks about tackling higher education.


Does anyone actually feel like high school prepared them for life as an adult? Didn't think so

[Mwizzle]

Interdasting thread, repping everyone that contributed.

^I was lucky enough to go to a charter school, and then a really good public school when I moved down to Texas. Other than that compared to the 2 other high schools I've been two, complete and utter trash.

[gottalooksharp]

won't make much of a difference

avg student loan debt in Sweden where college is entirely free + you get paid $330 usd/month no strings attached: $19 000
avg student loan debt in America: $27 000

More like 19000 krona

[Chesso95]

lol what, how do you get that much debt with no tuition?

high cost of living, fees, taxes (if u work), terrible housing market

More like 19000 krona

incorrect

[Dschreiver]

"Free" aye lmao

[HI_KKM]

lettuce be reality, college is worthless

it doesn't teach you real world skills or critical thinking

you can be a potato and graduate college

college is only going to take away 4 years of work experience and wages from the lower class. they will still end up working a retail job.

[BeansnToast]

lettuce be reality, college is worthless

it doesn't teach you real world skills or critical thinking

you can be a potato and graduate college

college is only going to take away 4 years of work experience and wages from the lower class. they will still end up working a retail job.

This is a harsh truth for a large percentage of graduates. Also, where I'm from, uni is relatively cheap, so instead of looking for jobs, graduates from useless degress, all take out a loan and do some type of masters,and then go back into entry level Bachelor graduate jobs.

End result being it's changing from having a bachelors an essential requirement to having a masters. Market is so saturated, I have no idea how its gonna sort itself