BILL: Should We Promote Tuition-Free College? - College for All Act of 2023 - H.R.4117

college, college, college.  this country needs skilled technicians.  my brother works at a company that makes custom assembly line equipment from scratch and they can't find ANYONE with mechanical skills etc.  And how bout a bill to get colleges to keep tution raises tied to CPI.  

The issue here is whether should there be free college tuition. Someone dismissively wrote that tuition is out of control because colleges have no incentives to keep tuition under control. This seemed to be one of those off-the-cuff comments from a low-information conservative commenter that everyone kindly but rightly ignored. Even other conservative commenters didn't Like that comment. 

In response, I ask, why do you believe universities have no incentives to keep costs down?

Let's set aside city and state university systems since they subsidize tuition to a greater or lesser extent in order to remain affordable for most. Instead, take a general look at private colleges. 

First off, regardless of ranking, there's good old-fashioned competition. Universities face pressure from other institutions that offer similar or better quality education at lower prices. This affects enrollment, reputation, and the school's ranking, which in turn affects their revenue and funding sources.

Next, Universities are subject to regulation. Universities may have to comply with certain rules or standards set by government agencies, accreditation bodies, or other external stakeholders. These could include limits on tuition increases, requirements for financial aid, or expectations for academic performance and outcomes.

Like other entities, universities often adopt new technologies, methods, or practices that could improve their efficiency, effectiveness, or quality of education. For example online courses even degrees. I personally know four individuals who got degrees mostly from online courses one a Masters in Education, one a doctorate in Physical Therapy (sections of certain courses required in-person attendance), and two did advanced computer application design all online from accredited institutions.

Lastly but perhaps most importantly, some universities include in their mission statement a deep sense of social responsibility and ethical commitment to provide affordable and accessible education to their students and communities.

An unusual example: The entire medical school class of a daughter of a long-time friend got their entire medical education paid for by some über wealthy donor. I don't have the details behind that decision. But I imagine the Alumni Department worked hard to get that generous grant. 

None of this is rocket science, and the fact is some cost-cutting measures are heinous such as virtually eliminating tenure in favor of using adjuncts. As it was receiving tenure meant being put through a stressful and exhausting gauntlet consisting of several years of rigorous evaluation, research, and teaching performance appraisals.

Hopefully, I have provided some food for thought as to why an arch-conservative assertion like "tuition is out of control because colleges have no incentives to keep tuition low" is just false. 

Sometimes you need to think outside the box. Sometimes you have to look back. Sometimes you have to look around. It took the City University of New York 30 years to figure it out, It started with Open Admissions which drove many nuts, and made many happy in the 70s and evolved into the hybrid system we have today. 

Open Admissions to College was a policy that was adopted by the City University of New York (CUNY) in 1970, which guaranteed a place at one of its colleges for any New York City high school graduate, regardless of academic performance or test scores. The policy was intended to increase access and opportunity for underrepresented groups, such as minorities, immigrants, and low-income students, who faced barriers to higher education.  

However, the policy also faced criticism and challenges, such as budget cuts, overcrowding, faculty resistance, and declining academic standards. Some critics argued that open admissions lowered the quality and reputation of CUNY, and that many students were not prepared for college-level work and needed remedial courses. The policy was modified several times over the years, and eventually phased out in the late 1990s and early 2000s, as CUNY reinstated admission requirements and standards for its colleges.

Today, CUNY still offers a variety of academic programs and degrees for students with different backgrounds and goals. Some of its colleges have open admission policies, while others have selective or competitive admission processes. CUNY also provides support services and initiatives for adult learners, online education, career success, and more.

Source: 
(1) Undergrad Admissions - The City College of New York. https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/admissions
(2) Admissions – The City University of New York. https://www.cuny.edu/admissions/
(3) Easiest Colleges To Get Into In New York - Career Karma. https://careerkarma.com/blog/easiest-colleges-to-get-into-in-new-york/
(4) Open Admissions Colleges in New York. https://www.collegecalc.org/colleges/new-york/open-admissions/
(5) 2024 College Application Deadlines in New York - College simply https://www.collegesimply.com/guides/application-deadlines/new-york/

No. Tuition should not be free. Tuition is out of control because universities have no incentive to keep costs low. 

All Americans Eduction should free to Americans, but buying books and supplies should give some incentive to the students to complete! 
Lone forgiveness to all American students should be done! Not for the purchase of motor homes another things!

Education for All! Absolutely!

Some of our brightest minds do not have the opportunity to go to college because they are priced out. If this passes, the USA will have access the MOST brilliant doctors, scientists, educators, engineers, cutting-edge technology/security experts, etc. I'm in! All in!!!

Best part is, they already have a plan to pay for it!

I am happy to see this bill being proposed, but I cannot believe it will get through the House of Misrepresentation. The cost of higher education makes higher education unfeasible for some deserving students. However, I would also encourage politicians to include trade schools in the bill. Not everyone needs to go to university. We also need well-trained trades people. 

Absolutely. And the argument that we can't do this because it might help some rich kids is absolutely ludicrous. I doubt very many rich families would send their children to mix with the dirty plebs anyway. Laughable.

Representatives: 

We strongly urge you to Support College for All Act of 2023 - H.R.4117.
However, I add that provisions be made for states to take this program over may be objected to by any given state. How will that be addressed?

Public schools like Community Colleges and State Universities receiving tax dollars should be free. If you want to attend private schools like the Ivy League then you pay.