Why Free College is Bad Idea

[Kujako]

Out of the Question in the UK, Eastern Europeans effectively killed the Construction trade.

Don't worry, y'all dropped out of the EU! So now you'll have to start making your own stuff again.

[nacixems]

I'ts not Free, someone is paying for it.

Free in most cases seems to diminish the appreciation, Raising my kids, I found that when they worked for stuff, they appreciated and took care of and had a better sense of accomplishment, than just handing it over.

To me, Free holds a bad light , I understand its getting more and more expensive, but someone has to pay for it, and personally most colleges dont have much higher standards than HS.. we are taxed to much already imo.

I would much rather have them do something like 4-6 years of community service or something after, there needs to be a cost or ... imo its just a new entitlement , and we dont need anymore of those, its does nothing but breed bad habbits from those getting them.

[Grimbold21]

I think folks are forgetting that free college only relates to tuition which costs 0. You still have all the other costs: housing, food, school materials and all that. Granted that in the US perhaps getting rid of tuition would be one massive cut on expenses, you'll still be spending money.

[Cthulhu 2020]

Don't worry, y'all dropped out of the EU! So now you'll have to start making your own stuff again.

Not likely. Now that BREXIT has happened all of the conservatives are backing down on basically everything they said independence would do for them. Plenty more Eastern Euros going to come in! Turns out they were only pushing BREXIT for their own selfish reasons and didn't really care about the common man after all.

[Rampant Rabbit]

That's one way to not evolve as an entire species. It's not all about money.

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Everyone wants college to be free, except no one thinks about the repercussions of everyone having a college degree. If everyone attained a college degree, then the value of a college degree would be worthless and we would be right back where we started. Better stated in the Disney movie The Incredibles:


Here is an economics professor arguing against education in case you wanted a more "credible" (appeal to authority) source.

Wouldn't you desire to live in a world where everyone's super? It would make being super the new normal, which means that in time, there will be a new super as well.

[Deleted]

How is making it so that people can compete at the new "norm" with no debt making it worse? As it is the current norm incurs enormous debt.

It doesn't alter the problem, that a lot of that education is 'pointless' (more accurately i would say, not adequately tailored for the job market)

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Out of the Question in the UK, Eastern Europeans effectively killed the Construction trade.

No, the regulations killed the construction trade by killing the market - That's the reason your housing is so expensive (that and money laundering)

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Wouldn't you desire to live in a world where everyone's super? It would make being super the new normal, which means that in time, there will be a new super as well.

We don't need 100% literacy.

[Narwal]

Well college usually has higher standards than high school. HS you just show up and you graduate.

Do you think college would stay that higher standard when the government started paying for all the students to attend? What happens if people who are not prepared for college, get that free ride into college and fail miserably? Do you think the government, who is directly responsible for high school, will allow it to stand that much of the money they spend on these people, goes for nothing when they fail out?

[RaoBurning]

I tell kids they're better off learning a trade like welding than getting a liberal arts degree.

Financially, perhaps, but welding doesn't teach you how to tell shit from shinola. All the critical thinking skills I picked up from Math (thanks, Geometry proofs!) and liberal arts-type classes. There's value in practical skills training and how-to-not-be-a-dumbass training.

[zenkai]

Do you think college would stay that higher standard when the government started paying for all the students to attend? What happens if people who are not prepared for college, get that free ride into college and fail miserably? Do you think the government, who is directly responsible for high school, will allow it to stand that much of the money they spend on these people, goes for nothing when they fail out?

I see pros and cons on this. Colleges, currently, don't have to let you in, and a good college wants to protect their name so they wont let any dumbass in. Highschool you have to let dumbasses in. What's even worse is, schools are rated how much them dumbasses learn which entices schools to give dumb people good grades to make themselves look better. They don't teach kids, they teach kids how to pass a test.

Cons, I see people throwing away government money, like they do their parents money when they go to party and not take school seriously. People tend to take things for granted when it's just given to them and not earned.

TLDR - I don't know the best answer, but one thing for sure, the education bubble is going to burst soon.

[chrisfover87]

Then ask yourself: Why college is this expensive?

Why is medical care this expensive? Why is insurance this expensive? Why is living in a good neighborhood this expensive? Etc Etc Etc

Maybe the real question you should ask yourself is: what I can do to benefit this society and get myself a decent salary?

[Vash The Stampede]

Why is medical care this expensive? Why is insurance this expensive? Why is living in a good neighborhood this expensive? Etc Etc Etc

#1 Oligopoly
#2 Oligopoly
#3 The Housing Market crash.

Maybe the real question you should ask yourself is: what I can do to benefit this society and get myself a decent salary?

Education, is the answer Chris. I personally believe that humanity is approaching a medical revolution with genetic engineering, and I definitely want to be part of that. Glowing cat joke aside, I would use this tech to solve health issues, solve aging, give you bigger penis or boobs, and even go as far as creating super humans that are far more capable than people today. Everyone would be super, and therefore nobody would be super.

Going online watching videos, and buying a $100 CRISPR kit isn't going to do jack. People want to see degrees to show that you've been educated properly, cause otherwise people won't deal with you. Go to a Doctor and see if you want to be treated by a person with a High School diploma as their highest level of education? You would do a 360 and walk away.

[Draeth]

This might be the literal worst argument against educating the population ever made.

[Linri]

even if college was free, i don't think a lot of people would bother to attend, just like highschool

[DJ117]

University is free of charge in Denmark. We are only overflowing with useless humanitarian and communication students who can't find a job.

[Krille]

I think folks are forgetting that free college only relates to tuition which costs 0. You still have all the other costs: housing, food, school materials and all that. Granted that in the US perhaps getting rid of tuition would be one massive cut on expenses, you'll still be spending money.

"Free school" and we get money for doing it. So we can pay for food and school materials. Housing is a different story.

[Kathandira]

People want to see degrees to show that you've been educated properly

I feel this should be expanded upon.

A college degree shows that you are able to be trained. That you are able to maintain a schedule. That you have a certain set of tools which you use to succeed. It's not only about your major and how much you know about that particular subject. It shows that you have determination, and a willingness to work hard at something.

Also, keep in mind. Just because college could be free, doesn't mean people could just be handed a degree. You still have to work at it, and earn it. If you fail all your classes, then you are kicked out of school and have to re-enroll next year.

Also free college doesn't mean everyone is automatically accepted either. The years leading up to college, and the entry exams determine if you will be accepted. If you are a failure in school before college, you likely won't be accepted, and you will not be benefiting from that free tuition.

[gabrieltron]

So, here in Brazil we have both paid and free ("free", paid by the government) universities, so I'll share a little bit of how's it like here. All universities have a huuuge test, every university has it's own and it's applied once or twice a year, and the people with the best grades get in.

In most cases free university are the best, most people want to study there, so it's really hard to get a better grade than the other guy who also applied. This "everyone is super" doesn't happen because it's really hard to enter. Also, getting in is no guarantee of a degree, managing to study in a public university is hard, but getting the degree is waaaay harder. It's nice to remember that if the person is really poor, the government also pays things like food and a place to live.

Paid universitys tend to be really easy to enter, you only have to get your name right on the test. Also, many of them just want your money so they'll just give you whatever grade you need to pass the classes so you don't quit and pay the next one to get your degree. Because of that, degrees from public schools are usually better for your resume, since you have to study harder to get it.

I have to say that although the majority of universities are like this, this is no rule, there are really good paid universities and bad ones that are free.

[Uoyredrum]

This might be the literal worst argument against educating the population ever made.

welcome to MMO champion politics

[Rasulis]

So, here in Brazil we have both paid and free ("free", paid by the government) universities, so I'll share a little bit of how's it like here. All universities have a huuuge test, every university has it's own and it's applied once or twice a year, and the people with the best grades get in.

In most cases free university are the best, most people want to study there, so it's really hard to get a better grade than the other guy who also applied. This "everyone is super" doesn't happen because it's really hard to enter. Also, getting in is no guarantee of a degree, managing to study in a public university is hard, but getting the degree is waaaay harder. It's nice to remember that if the person is really poor, the government also pays things like food and a place to live.

Paid universitys tend to be really easy to enter, you only have to get your name right on the test. Also, many of them just want your money so they'll just give you whatever grade you need to pass the classes so you don't quit and pay the next one to get your degree. Because of that, degrees from public schools are usually better for your resume, since you have to study harder to get it.

I have to say that although the majority of universities are like this, this is no rule, there are really good paid universities and bad ones that are free.

In the United States we have 3 kinds of Universities. Public (mostly state funded with the exception of the various military academies which are federally funded), private non-profit and private for-profit.

Many public and non-profit tuition is based on income. For example, free tuition for families with income up to 65k - 75k, 10% of annual income in-between up to 150k, and then full tuition above 150k. It is rather confusing, because the programs vary from state to state. All the military academies are tuition free. Entry to these schools is competitive to highly competitive.

Then you have private for-profit. The less said about these schools, the better.

[RaoBurning]

In the United States we have 3 kinds of Universities. Public (mostly state funded with the exception of the various military academies which are federally funded), private non-profit and private for-profit.

Many public and non-profit tuition is based on income. For example, free tuition for families with income up to 65k - 75k, 10% of annual income in-between up to 150k, and then full tuition above 150k. It is rather confusing, because the programs vary from state to state. All the military academies are tuition free. Entry to these schools is competitive to highly competitive.

Worth adding to this is that parental income is factored into FAFSA until you're 24, sans orphans/vets/married folk, regardless of how willing/able/interested your parents are in footing for college. My mom made enough money that I didn't qualify for any grants in my late teens/early 20s, and I was too poor to pay for it myself (go government job! Great insurance though), so I was fairly well SOL. Then by 24 I was old and tired. College and I didn't get along so well. Now I'm poor, have a huge employment gap, and full of debt!

Then you have private for-profit. The less said about these schools, the better.

I'd be quite happy if these all disappeared overnight. Forever.