Free Higher Education
Higher education can be free... or at least students can graduate from college or university debt free, if we are bold enough to reimagine and then change how we allocate state and federal funds for higher education. Nationally, state support for colleges and universities has dwindled, while federal loan programs are inefficiently distributed to both public and private institutions through loan programs and tax breaks. Where state and federal funding fall short, students and their families are forced to take on the additional cost of attending college, often by incurring significant debt.
UC-AFT believes that higher education can be free for students if we reallocate existing state and federal spending. Check out this paper by UC-AFT President, Bob Samuels: Making All Public Higher Education Free
Recent Interviews with Bob Samuels on Free Higher Ed:
NPR's On Point with Tom Ashbrook. Free College? John Stossel The Higher Ed Bubble
List of American Free College Programs
Congress on Free Higher Ed
US Senate Resolution on Debt Free Higher education
Senate Progressive Caucus statement on Debt Free Higher Education
State Plans for Free Higher Ed
Tennessee
Oregano passes free community college bill as congressional democrats introduce federal version Insider Higher Ed
Proposals in Oregon and Washington
Obama Administration on Free Higher Ed
President’s Free Community College Plan
President’s plan reviewed
President’s video
VP Biden video
Free Higher Ed Organizations
Campaign for Free College Tuition
CREDO Petition for Free Higher Ed
Presidential Hopefuls on Free Higher Ed
Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders Free College plan
Hillary Clinton on Free Community College
Hillary Clinton on College Costs
Hillary on Debt-Free College
Martin O'Malley Debt-free Higher Ed Plan
Elizabeth Warren on Debt-free College Options
Free Higher Ed in other Countries
Germany
Media
When college is free, or free(ish) Chronicle of Higher Ed (subscription only)