What better idea for a brighter tomorrow than making a college education "free" for those who are qualified and would benefit by it, but cannot afford it?
But any rational program would require some guidelines to prevent it from turning into a boondoggle and a horrific waste of taxpayer money.
First, the students availing themselves would have to be "college material." They would have to have the courses, the grades, and the test scores to demonstrate that they are prepared for college-level classes on Day One. This is one of the problems in California, where more than half of the students require remedial math and reading (English) before they are ready to START taking real college courses. NONE of those kids is "college material," and they are more likely to end up behind the counter in a Starbucks after graduation than in some management position for a corporation. If you are going to ask the taxpayers to pony up for this unprecedented benefit, it is not too much to ask that the students prepare themselves.
When I say "unprecedented" I mean, this benefit would be a stake in the heart of the previous generations of college students and graduates who have worked their asses off to pay tuition and college costs, and might now be overwhelmed by a mountain of college debt - or have PAID OFF a mountain of debt after twenty years of sacrifice. Don't even HINT that "free" college includes paying off or forgiving existing debt. That is a non-starter for any rational human.
Second, state schools only. If you want a private school education, you can get a stipend from the state equivalent to the State school tuition, but for the rest of it, you are on your own.
Third, no "affirmative action" bullshit. If you meet the thresholds you get the "free" tuition, and if not, tough shit. And if that means that EVERY Asian kid gets a scholarship and only a smattering of Black kids, well...the remedy for that is the Black kids will have to work a little harder from now on.
Fourth, academic standards must be met throughout the program (4 years, period). And with today's grading, a 2.5 QPA is not an unreasonable minimum. And if you change your major and can't graduate in four years, sorry...
Fifth, it would be appropriate for those who meet the thresholds to get some recognition, regardless of whether they decide to go to college. In other words, everyone knows that a high school diploma doesn't mean anything now, but if a kid meets these thresholds s/he should get some sort of certificate.
Finally, since this is a (unconstitutional) FEDERAL program, and since the STATES are in charge of K-12, there must be national standards in place to ensure that qualifying kids in each state are, as far as possible, leaping the same hurdles to succeed and get that scholarship. And one might even suggest that kids could take their credentials in one state and use them to go to a PUBLIC COLLEGE in any other state where s/he meets the entrance criteria.
I know this is not the Socialist Dream of "free college for all." What they want is the chance to indoctrinate a whole generation of American children into the joys of totalitarian Socialism, and to extend adolescence as long as possible, because they know that adolescents are most likely to believe their fantasy bullshit.
But this is a rational approach to an unconstitutional suggestion, one that might gain enough support to succeed among rational Americans.
But any rational program would require some guidelines to prevent it from turning into a boondoggle and a horrific waste of taxpayer money.
First, the students availing themselves would have to be "college material." They would have to have the courses, the grades, and the test scores to demonstrate that they are prepared for college-level classes on Day One. This is one of the problems in California, where more than half of the students require remedial math and reading (English) before they are ready to START taking real college courses. NONE of those kids is "college material," and they are more likely to end up behind the counter in a Starbucks after graduation than in some management position for a corporation. If you are going to ask the taxpayers to pony up for this unprecedented benefit, it is not too much to ask that the students prepare themselves.
When I say "unprecedented" I mean, this benefit would be a stake in the heart of the previous generations of college students and graduates who have worked their asses off to pay tuition and college costs, and might now be overwhelmed by a mountain of college debt - or have PAID OFF a mountain of debt after twenty years of sacrifice. Don't even HINT that "free" college includes paying off or forgiving existing debt. That is a non-starter for any rational human.
Second, state schools only. If you want a private school education, you can get a stipend from the state equivalent to the State school tuition, but for the rest of it, you are on your own.
Third, no "affirmative action" bullshit. If you meet the thresholds you get the "free" tuition, and if not, tough shit. And if that means that EVERY Asian kid gets a scholarship and only a smattering of Black kids, well...the remedy for that is the Black kids will have to work a little harder from now on.
Fourth, academic standards must be met throughout the program (4 years, period). And with today's grading, a 2.5 QPA is not an unreasonable minimum. And if you change your major and can't graduate in four years, sorry...
Fifth, it would be appropriate for those who meet the thresholds to get some recognition, regardless of whether they decide to go to college. In other words, everyone knows that a high school diploma doesn't mean anything now, but if a kid meets these thresholds s/he should get some sort of certificate.
Finally, since this is a (unconstitutional) FEDERAL program, and since the STATES are in charge of K-12, there must be national standards in place to ensure that qualifying kids in each state are, as far as possible, leaping the same hurdles to succeed and get that scholarship. And one might even suggest that kids could take their credentials in one state and use them to go to a PUBLIC COLLEGE in any other state where s/he meets the entrance criteria.
I know this is not the Socialist Dream of "free college for all." What they want is the chance to indoctrinate a whole generation of American children into the joys of totalitarian Socialism, and to extend adolescence as long as possible, because they know that adolescents are most likely to believe their fantasy bullshit.
But this is a rational approach to an unconstitutional suggestion, one that might gain enough support to succeed among rational Americans.
