What free college may look like
President Joe Biden proposed multiple “free college” measures while on the campaign trail. Do any of them have a real shot? Some experts think so.
“The issue is bipartisan in its appeal, economically effective and supported by the leadership in today’s Congress and administration — that’s (a) pretty good triple play,” said Morley Winograd, president of The Campaign for Free College Tuition.
Others are skeptical now is the time to move forward on free college.
“I have a really hard time seeing any sort of four-year free college program passing at this point,” said Douglas Webber, associate professor of economics at Temple University.
The first glimpse of a formal proposal will most likely be in Biden’s upcoming budget, experts say. Here’s what to look for.
Tuition-free community college
“Free college” really means free tuition. Students would still have to pay for room and board, along with transportation, books and supplies. The average cost for room and board is $11,386 at a four-year school and $7,636 at a two-year school, according to federal data.
Biden’s free college proposals include:
A Four years tuition-free at public colleges for those whose family income is less than $125,000.
A Two years of free tuition for lowand middle-income students attending minority-serving institutions.
A Tuition-free public community
colleges.
That last one is the easiest sell, experts say.
“We’ve seen how much free community college has become more popular,” said Wesley Whistle, senior adviser for policy and strategy with the Education Policy program at New America, a public policy think tank.
The primary blocker for any tuition-free program is the cost, experts say, as any such program would likely be funded through a federal-state partnership.
Community college is the cheaper bill to foot: The cost to fund tuition at public two-year schools is $8.8 billion compared with $72.5 billion at four-year public schools, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
How ‘free’ might work
There’s already a blueprint for tuition-free programs: Currently 15 states have a program in place, while several others have extensive scholarship programs. Some cities do, too.
Most state programs, such as Tennessee Promise and the Excelsior Scholarship in New York, which both offer four years of tuition-free public college, are last-dollar. That means students must submit the
Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, and accept all need-based federal and state aid before the tuitionfree benefit kicks in.
Most experts say a federally enacted program would likely be first-dollar, covering tuition costs before any other aid is applied.
That could increase the perstudent impact of scholarships and state funding, said Edward Conroy, associate director of institutional transformation for the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice.
“If we get a federal program that says we’re going to make tuition free and you can still receive any state or federal grants on top of that, that would be a robust program,” Conroy said. In that case, additional aid could go toward paying for additional expenses.
Pell Grant expansion a plus
There’s another path toward tuition-free college, though it doesn’t have “free” in the name: the Pell Grant.
The Pell Grant program provides students who have demonstrated need with free aid; for 2021-22, it’s up to $6,495. Though the Pell was meant to cover most college costs, it hasn’t kept up — the average tuition and fees at four-year public schools is $9,212, according to federal data.
Most experts say doubling the maximum Pell Grant would effectively create free tuition and in some cases cover additional expenses. Biden has called for this, along with expanding eligibility to cover more middle-income students.
Robert Kelchen, associate professor of higher education at Seton Hall University, said expanded Pell would be easier to pass than tuition-free college since Pell already exists.
How students can cut costs
Tuition-free college policy could take a long time to pass through Congress — so students and parents may not see this benefit for months or years. But there are existing strategies for getting a degree at a lower cost:
Find out if your state already has a tuition-free program. Consider a public college. Attend a two-year school, then plan to transfer credits and complete a four-year degree.
Compare college cost, graduation rates and typical student loan payments using the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
Submit the FAFSA and accept all need-based aid.
Find scholarships using search tools. The U.S. Department of Labor has one.
If your family’s finances have changed, request a judgment to appeal your aid award.