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joecavalry

Do you believe that college should be free?

DrCereal

For those who earn and want it, yes.

MayCaesar

College can only be free as a charity service, and charity-based colleges tend to be very limited in their function. They rely on the generosity of their donors, and hardly can exist in the modern society as the dominant means of obtaining higher education.

What you probably implied is the system of universal higher education, when the college expenses are paid from the taxes the government collects, with individuals paying no additional fee. In my opinion, this system is superior to the private education system in educating the weak student, but inferior to it in educating the strong student. Universal education necessarily equalizes the playing field (since everyone contributes to the funds, and everyone has equal rights in using their product), which helps the less successful students rise up in ranks, but prevents the more successful students from reaching their full potential.

I believe that the society is pushed forward by the successful top, and not by the unsuccessful bottom or even by the mid-successful average individual. Hence solely private education, such as implemented in the US, would be my personal choice. However, a certain mixture of both is probably most effective in theory (not necessarily in practice).

Polaris95

Free, public, government-run universities should be built. Not everyone has enough money for university, including many people who could grow to do many great things if they went to college. While some universities deserve to be selective, there have to be some colleges that are free and not very selective. Education is a right, not a privilege.

YeshuaRedeemed

Yes, education is a right.

joecavalry

College should not be free due to its high cost for the government.

sear

Reductio ad absurdum:

Why should ANY education be "free *"?

Why not have a nation of illiterates?

As you might imagine, our nation would default to dysfunction.

SO !!

Generations ago we settled on the high school or k - 12 standard.

There we learn some basics.

 BUT !!

That standard was set during, and aimed at what was deemed adequate for adult self-sufficiency mid-20th century.

It's a new millennium.

Today, an associate's degree (2 year college) may not be enough for today's job market.

Many high tech employers complain they have job openings, but no qualified candidates to apply for them.

"Yes, education is a right." YB

 Piffle.

Free speech, the right to travel, the right to breathe are rights. Education is not free, even in the rare cases it is obtained without charge.

We may have a limited right to learn. But that right to knowledge does not compel or oblige teachers to practice their craft for free.

 * "Free" in this case means somebody else is paying for it. We are all paying for it in one way or another.

refugee

@MayCaesar
Free, public, government-run universities should be built.

Free is not public or government run. Taxation should build free things could that be housing and cars included.

refugee

@Polaris95

Education is now a right and should be funded by taxpayers as a free right.

billpassed

Colleges shouldn’t be free. The cost of free college could be trillions of dollars which would lead to a higher debt for the United States.

refugee

@billpassed

What is really free and you tell me.

refugee

@DrCereal

Hearing who earns anything free does peak the interest

DrCereal

refugee said:

@DrCereal

Hearing who earns anything free does peak the interest

They put in the effort to justify giving them free tuition in a college.
If they can demonstrate that they have the effort to work in college, then I think it's more probable than not that they will have the same effort at a job, which will be their means of "paying for", through economic contributions and their own money they will pay in taxes, the tuition that they received from government spending.

yolostide

College should not be free. The cost of free college in the United States could be trillions of dollars. This would result in the United States having more debt and a larger budget which is unnecessary. The government needs to become more fiscally responsible, not increase government spending.

Applesauce

refugee said:

@billpassed

What is really free and you tell me.

it's the dumbing down of the human race,  free =/= no cost to you, it's impossible to have free healthcare or college, it might be no cost for some people, but someone is paying for it.  I sell pencils, people can come and get my pencils at no cost to them because the funds are come from someplace else, I increase my prices and still no cost to them.  You want to get in on that action, however they have to pay you directly, so you charge less than I do, guess what, I raise my prices again and not loose any business.  Or let's say you get paid by someplace else, you'd charge as much as I do and would you, if one of us raises prices, the other would/should as well, if they are smart business people.

Mr_Bombastic

It's funny how so many liberals think that anything of value can be free.