Wasn't college education free

[.... callchet ....]

in California before Reagan ? Why not free national college education ?

[david13]

1. Because

The rich can afford to send their kids and pay.
The poor can get a scholarship.
But the middle income shouldn't have to pay taxes so the rich kid can go free to the University.
dc

[pnwmom]

4. The same argument could be made against free high school,

even elementary school.

[sandnsea]

6. The poor can get a scholarship??

You must not be aware of how few scholarships there really are, and how expensive room and board is, even if you get a scholarship that covers tuition. Poor people are terrified at the cost of loans to send kids to in-state colleges, even with Pell Grants.

[Captain Hilts]

13. That's exactly right. The smart kids I knew in high school couldn't get scholarships...

of any decent value and they went to state schools like William and Mary and UVA and had to pay a good chunk of change.

[provis99]

9. thats the most retarded argument I've seen on DU

[ecstatic]

2. Yes. My parents went to college in NYC for free

30 years ago.

[Captain Hilts]

12. City College was charging tuition by then. They must have been on scholarship. nt

[MADem]

3. I don't know--I lived in CA (not a resident) and I thought it was very cheap, not free.

State tuitions used to be affordable in most locations. Now, they're not. It's a shame.

[grannie4peace]

5. no

[aikoaiko]

7. State universities are free in GA for high school students with a 3.0 plus some book money

Or you can get some money for private school.


Even out of staters can get in on it if you pay for the first year and maintain a 3.0.

Thank you Zell Miller.

[trackfan]

8. It cost $131 a quarter for me to go to UCLA (1977-1981) n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. I paid $198 a semester

Graduated in 78.

[murielm99]

10. I went to a private university in the sixties and did not

pay that much. It was possible to earn most of the money I needed by working my vacations. Even with loans, I had my education paid for within five years of graduation.

Grad school was a different matter. I will be paying for that for a few years yet (I went back to school when I was in my fifties).

My kids will be paying off loans for twenty-five years. We helped them as much as we could, too.

[Lasher]

11. Yes, four years of college should be free.

But that's strictly no frills, and no vouchers to help fund an education at Harvard or Baywatch University.

[LWolf]

14. Community colleges were.

But they only offer the first two years.

I don't remember state universities being "free."

Of course, I didn't attend a state university at that time; I was in high school.

[crikkett]

15. Because free education was empowering lower classes and we can't have that

(in the Bush years California slipped from the World's 5th largest economy to the 7th.)

[kwassa]

16. Prop 13 killed education in California

I took a variety of community college courses for my own edification in the early 80s. I paid $2.50, the cost of registration, and an occasional small lab fee, like $10 or so, in arts courses. That was it.

[NCDem60]

22. And now its killing California

[Sancho]

17. College was free or affordable in the mid-1900's, the GOP made changes...

over the last 20-25 years the plan is to make colleges "for profit". Most states have greatly reduced the dollars to higher education, increased tuition, and privatized bookstores, food service, etc. Florida is typical of the GOP plans...under Jeb the universities are starved, tuition and fees go up, and the states hawk pre-paid tuition plans that they make money on pools of cash. Even Zell Miller was part of the plan (I taught in the GA university system when Zell froze college hiring in 1986) by funding the tuition with lottery money - so that higher education was not the state budget responsibility. I admit that the consequence of lottery funding is that students can go to college in GA if their grades are good as long as the lottery tickets sell. I wonder if the GA legislature realized how much money the lottery would raise, but once done; they were stuck with a popular program.

The shift from GI bills, state aid, scholarships, etc. is really hurting students who have to borrow for school, and also making colleges unable to keep a stable faculty or retain programs in tough years. Instead of putting donations and research money into foundations to get through; colleges now spend the money as fast as it comes in and put administrators and faculty in a position to get the dollars to be self-sustaining or they are out the door. That makes teaching a spectator sport since administration doesn't care about the quality of the course. Traditional promotion and tenure rules have problems, but the old rules always required some proof of teaching skills usually judged by peer faculty and student surveys. Not anymore. If you get the bucks, you are the college darling no matter how bad your classes are taught. Believe me, I've been there and have the t-shirt.

[Taitertots]

19. Get me some of that

I paid out of pocket for an associates from a community college. At full time it was right around $1,000 a semester after books, lab fees. Anyone willing to work hard can go to community college and pay themselves for it.

Now I'm going to university and it is costing me well over $3,000 in student loans every semester and that isn't even covering my books. It is quickly becoming out of reach of many people.


The government should subsidize education to an affordable level, not give it away free. Right now anyone who wants can get community college level education if they are willing to step up. University education however is quickly becoming prohibitively expensive and needs government aid to keep it inclusive to those willing to step up.

[proud2BlibKansan]

20. I think it should be free

From preschool through grad school.

A well educated populace - you can't put a price tag on that.

And when we spend $720 million a day on a war, you have to wonder where our values as a nation are.

[Taitertots]

21. Somewhat of an empty proposition

It doesn't really explain how you want to set this system up.


We need a cultural educational revolution to get people thinking and teaching their children. Once we value education, inquiry, and discover like we value consumption, fame, and greed then it won't matter as long as it is affordable. The people who wish to pursue education further will. There is no price tag on education, and a "free education" isn't a guarantee for better results. American K-12 has been shown to be not holding up to many other countries at standardized tests in K-12.

I believe we should better fund the current free K-12 and have more government education grants to universities and students. With many more need based grants, to where anyone who can meet the admissions standards can get a university education. We need to tweak the system not overhaul it.

"A well educated populace - you can't put a price tag on that."
You can't put a price tag on it because it is not something you can just buy. It is something that must be formed culturally, nourished, and money helps.