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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsEducationStarted 7yrs agoActive 2hrs ago

Should the federal government pay for tuition at four-year colleges and universities?

A 2017 College Board study estimated that the cost of college has increased 100% since 2001. The St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank estimates that U.S. college tuition debt has increased from $480 billion in 2006 to $1.5 trillion in 2018. Several 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary candidates have argued that the cost of college is out of control and that the government should pay for tuition. Opponents argue that the government cant afford it and point to estimates from the Committee for a Responsible Federal budget that estimate programs would cost the government $80 billion a year.

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55.5k Replies

 @B5HKXC2Republican from Mississippi  answered…1yr1Y

I think that the government should offer more merit based scholarships, as the people who are more intelligent should be the people with degrees that have a greater focus on intelligence

 @8RGC8CQIndependent from Mississippi  answered…5yrs5Y

No, but remove interest rates on student loans

 @BDKY4SN from Mississippi  answered…1mo1MO

No, but there should be more implementations for lower and or accomodating for those that are unable to or struggle with paying for colleges and universities.

 @BDKXT8B from Mississippi  answered…1mo1MO

Not in its entirety, but drastically reduce the cost of universities and allow for more people to get the scholarships they need.

 @BDK8QN9 from Mississippi  answered…1mo1MO

Yes for public universities and four-year colleges.

 @BDH6XX5 from Mississippi  answered…1mo1MO

Yes, if the student in turn works for the government for a number of years.

 @BD26T7T from Mississippi  answered…2mos2MO

Yes, but only for students with certain academic merit.

 @BCYJ6GG from Mississippi  answered…2mos2MO

The government should work to make tuition more affordable as prices have skyrocketed in the past two decades as well as lower interest rates for student loans.

 @BCYJ4C6 from Mississippi  answered…2mos2MO

Only provide if the student is qualified

 @BCYHXC8 from Mississippi  answered…2mos2MO

I think they should just lower interest rates for student loans and increase scholarship oppertunities for low income students

 @BCY5JB5 from Mississippi  answered…2mos2MO

Yes but there should be a qualification to it

 @BCVD3VX from Mississippi  answered…2mos2MO

Yes , but provide more scholarship opportunities for low-income students

 @BBC4RP2 from Mississippi  answered…4mos4MO

Depends on the situation with the student in need of tuition. aka Family life, grades, home enviroment.

 @BB84WTR from Mississippi  answered…4mos4MO

Yes but only for students making sufficiently good grades and demonstrating an interest in academic success.

 @B9YVK5SIndependent from Mississippi  answered…4mos4MO

No, but they should limit how expensive colleges are, and still create scholarship opportunities for students

 @B9VCS3R from Mississippi  answered…4mos4MO

yes, but students should be required to provide proofs of income so it can be decided whether or not to provide you with that extra financial aid.

 @B9RRBNN from Mississippi  answered…5mos5MO

I think that they should make it cheaper if it's a public university that receives funding from the federal government, no price gouging.

 @B9D45KP from Mississippi  answered…5mos5MO

Yes in the sense that college should be cheaper overall. Preferably goverment run instead of privatized. Paying for college isn't the issue as much as having a monopoly and arbitrarily deciding how much it should cost based on greed rather than actual cost and expenses required to teach.

 @B8C564F from Mississippi  answered…7mos7MO

It depends on the person receiving it. They should actually be worthy of it and should actually need it.

 @B7YW45HProgressive from Mississippi  answered…8mos8MO

No, but provide 0% interest on student loans, address the excessive inflation of tuition, and provide scholarships for low income students

 @B7C44R9 from Mississippi  answered…9mos9MO

Yes, but only for in demand fields. Those who receive full tuition pay should have to keep an above average gpa. Scholarships should be available to the poor and disadvantaged to help them get out and have a chance at being successful.

 @B5WJ87X from Mississippi  answered…12mos12MO

No, instead we should lower funding for universities and encourage them to drop pointless classes/programs that lead to limited or no career opportunities.

 @B4DXY5H from Mississippi  answered…1yr1Y

Students that go to in state public universities should get free/ reduced tuition. Private universities should not.

 @B3DY2RG from Mississippi  answered…1yr1Y

No, the government should force schools to lower prices where it is affordable to cash flow going to school

 @B2PVMV7 from Mississippi  answered…1yr1Y

For private universities not at all, but for public state institutions it is up to the state to put in funding for the university.

 @B2989XWRepublican from Mississippi  answered…1yr1Y

depends, for student loans and military service it would be useful but for just anyone to get into college, no.

 @9Y9R3B2 from Mississippi  answered…2yrs2Y

yes but only to people that will use it good and not dropout sooner and they are serious about college adn they are grateful

 @9X58BXJ from Mississippi  answered…2yrs2Y

yes but also provide lower interest rates on student loans, the price tag for schooling overall should be significantly lower.

 @9W52V2P from Mississippi  answered…2yrs2Y

No, but provide lower student loan interest rates and incentivize corporations to pay for tuition through long-term internships.

 @9W4SHFS from Mississippi  answered…2yrs2Y

I think there should be lower interest rates on student loans, more scholarship opportunities for low income students, and the government should only provide for a smaller amount of tuition

 @9TCLGR3 from Mississippi  answered…2yrs2Y

No, the government should cap the amount of money they can give out per semester which would in turn force colleges to decrease tuition costs

 @9SNG5P7 from Mississippi  answered…2yrs2Y

No, not fully, but maybe make programs that cost less or do lower interest rates and more scholorship opportunities in general.

 @9S59YQDIndependent from Mississippi  answered…2yrs2Y

Yes, but the necessity of a college degree in the culture and society of the US needs to be reduce dramatically

 @9S28VRF from Mississippi  answered…2yrs2Y

No, they should supply the money for tuition and have a 0% interest on the loaned money. There should also be accountability so students can only continue getting the 0% interest if they keep their grades up and don't have excessive withdrawals from courses each semester.

 @9P8YXQZ from Mississippi  answered…2yrs2Y

No, universities should be restructured and money grabbing schemes such as requiring classes that do not obtain to the choice of degree should not be allowed. Forcing electives or basic classes that were taught in grade school should not be required in obtaining your degree.

 @9M8R34R from Mississippi  answered…2yrs2Y

No, people should boycott the overpriced large universities and go to junior college for 2 years. then go to the smaller instate schools to finish their bachelors

 @9LZDM84Republican from Mississippi  answered…2yrs2Y

State colleges for in-state residents should be covered. Private colleges and out of state programs could fund more scholarship programs. In a society that is increasingly requiring a skilled technical worker, it shouldn't be solely on the back of the worker.

 @9KJ6M3N from Mississippi  answered…2yrs2Y

Tuition should not be so expensive. To have the federal government pay it would be a large cash drain, but that hardly means students should pay it either. So essentially, not in the current conditions.

 @ty_ramage_20 from Mississippi  answered…2yrs2Y

No, but maybe provide more scholarship opportunities for all students, not just based on income of the parent's

 @9JP7HPF from Mississippi  answered…2yrs2Y

Yes, for the reason it can teach parts of history and it can give students the mindset of right and wrong.

 @9JFYLZC from Mississippi  answered…2yrs2Y

No, and they should stop subsidizing the loans so that college tuition inflation stops growing exponentially

 @9HKQ64G from Mississippi  answered…3yrs3Y

No, But they should provide lower interest for student loan and provide more scholarship opportunities for low- income students.

 @9GQQKTT from Mississippi  answered…3yrs3Y

If the person going to the university finishes college and gets their degree, then the government should pay for their college.

 @9GP5V2ZDemocrat  from Mississippi  answered…3yrs3Y

Yes and No, because the government is not telling people that they have to have college tuition. Meanwhile if you don't have a college education there's not many job's that you can get.

 @9GB2C2J from Mississippi  answered…3yrs3Y

federal government should only pay for tuition if one has been enforced into the army or anything in help of the government.

 @9FY3NT3 from Mississippi  answered…3yrs3Y

No, but I do think that the cost of college should be lowered and college students shouldn’t have to pay for dorms, parking, and dining hall food.

 @9FTYYBW from Mississippi  answered…3yrs3Y

Yes, again but, the amount should be regulated by government also in order to provide equal opportunity to all people. We should do away with Ivy League schools that cater to the rich.

 @9DMXLFK from Mississippi  answered…3yrs3Y

Yes but only if Tuition would be earned through scholarships, grants, and even volunteer work in order to fund tuition even if at least partially.

 @9DHM4FVRepublican from Mississippi  answered…3yrs3Y

For certain occupations tuition should be paid for.

 @9DFSGFG from Mississippi  answered…3yrs3Y

If they have very low income

 @9BX2F2W from Mississippi  answered…3yrs3Y

as long as they have gpa and test requirements

 @9BVWLC2 from Mississippi  answered…3yrs3Y

No, college is optional not mandatory. The government should focus more on bettering education for public schools.

 @9BKNRJY from Mississippi  answered…3yrs3Y

Yes, but only for people who cannot afford the tuition.

 @97G244X from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

No, the federal government should not itself pay for tuition, but rather should introduce reforms and/or laws that check the oftentimes outrageous costs of higher education.

 @96BYK7N from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

Lower interest rates and more opportunities

 @95SHM7X from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

Yes, just me and parker

 @95PZGWD from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

Only a little bit and only for those that prove they are worth it

 @95PB3QVRepublican from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

Yes, but with a certain GPA

 @95P72KV from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

Should create upper limits on college cost. Making the government pay for this tuition would lead to lowering the cost, as they will be directly impacted by the college price.

 @95MTJJC from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

Reform the higher education system.

 @95K6L3V from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

Yes but for qualifying degrees and a certain GPA should be maintained.

 @956P6D7 from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

Yes, for the financial incapable that qualify

 @94DCGZ3 from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

If this is of own merit, high education should be paid for by the federal government, there's a rewards system for this.

 @94434TX from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

I feel like they should but only for people who worked hard to get into that college and actually have progression to their desired career.

 @942JN7D from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

Yes, but only for schools whose students have low employment rates in their field of study.

 @93YK5TTCommunist from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

The government should provide schools for the public but no voucher programs for expensive universities

 @93PMLX5 from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

Automatically consolidate each separate loans for tuition

 @93NLMHJ from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

Yes, but means tested

 @93G4C8TIndependent from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

Only in the case of critical shortages in a field as an incentive to get more qualified professionals to choose those degree programs.

 @92T7X3C from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

Their should be increased oppurtunity for aid for students endeavoring to attend private universities, and public universities should be damn near free.

 @92FGSB8 from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

Yes, but only for students who can't afford to pay for it themselves

 @925Z56MRepublican from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

Yes, but only the students that have 2.5 or greater gpa

 @924KFBC from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

Yes, depending on one's income.

 @9225CGJ from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

Yes, for students that come from low-income families that deserve to go to a four-year college and cannot afford the tuition.

 @8ZKL6RZDemocrat from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

only partial of the tuition and do provide more scholarships for low-income students and lower the interest rates. people just want education

 @8ZBYQZ2 from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

only if the person meets high education standards, but does not have the income to support it

 @8Z4FZS7 from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

Yes, since there is a notion there is no hope if a four year college or university does not accept you; the government should pay for individuals to go to higher schooling

 @8YKD235Independent from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

No. Too many jobs require a degree for the sake of having a degree. College should be for specific positions. Too much is put on the value of college education and this is causing a lot of the problems with the whole higher education system.

 @8YJ78CG from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

If a student attending a four year is having such trouble with the tuition and its at a point where FAFSA or scholarships won't make a dent into the debt that they are in, the federal government should help.

 @8YFHBDCLibertarian from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

No, but provide federal scholarship opportunities for high academic students

 @8Y3Y278Independent from Mississippi  answered…4yrs4Y

There should be more focus on the reasons behind the increase in tuition so that costs can be mitigated -- this may be a good crutch, but ultimately won't fix the problem of college excesses.

 @8XZB3MZ from Mississippi  answered…5yrs5Y

no, but more scholarship options should be available for everyone and college is way too expensive for no reason.

 @8XV6M2X from Mississippi  answered…5yrs5Y

Yes, but only for those that will be successful members of society (2.75 GPA, good attendance etc.), we should not be paying for someone with 2.0 who parties all the time.

 @8XQ3TL3 from Mississippi  answered…5yrs5Y

I dont think college should cost that much to begin with. which doesnt allow people to learn what they truly want to. college is so cookie cutter

 @8XMP3G7 from Mississippi  answered…5yrs5Y

Yes, but only if the job path is critical to society and a GPA of 3.5 is maintained. Otherwise the individual is liable for all debt.

 @8WPNZP2 from Mississippi  answered…5yrs5Y

No, but a reduction in the cost of tuition is needed.

 @8W6RLFLDemocrat from Mississippi  answered…5yrs5Y

They should greatly reduce the price for low income states and communities

 @8VW9NPQ from Mississippi  answered…5yrs5Y

No, but I believe nontraditional students should be able to qualify for more than what is available.

 @8VCSH5T from Mississippi  answered…5yrs5Y

I think that a college education should be free for every citizen of the United States.

 @8V85MMV from Mississippi  answered…5yrs5Y

it depends on what you do and how you get there

 @8V65HB6 from Mississippi  answered…5yrs5Y

yes, but there should be more scholarship opportunities to give all students a fair chance

 @8TRQ8MC from Mississippi  answered…5yrs5Y

You can go to community college for free if you score decently on state tests like the ACT, if you cant do that then get a loan go to trade school and pay it off in 2 years.

 @8TR3SHL from Mississippi  answered…5yrs5Y

I believe that students should work hard and try to get scholarships to pay for college. Some may not be able to afford college, so therefore their should be a donation fund by people who want to help students further education.

 @8TR3SBT from Mississippi  answered…5yrs5Y

I think they should for kids who can't afford it , but not for people who can afford it.

 @8TR3R6S from Mississippi  answered…5yrs5Y

I think that some parents and families can not pay for their college but the students need to work hard in school to earn scholarships.

 @8TR3R4H from Mississippi  answered…5yrs5Y

yes, because the ones that cant afford college can have a choice to go. no, because you need to work for what u get.

 @8TR38FG from Mississippi  answered…5yrs5Y

I feel like they should help them if and only if they actually need help but if they can afford it then no they don't

 @8TR37P3 from Mississippi  answered…5yrs5Y

they should help pay but not fully

 @8TCLMZT from Mississippi  answered…5yrs5Y

Yes but only for the poor and the middle class

 @8T7CMB4 from Mississippi  answered…5yrs5Y

Yes, but in different amounts based on the student's family income

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…2yrs2Y

A Moment of Darkness': Washington Post's No-Endorsement Decision Ignites Media Firestorm

Even though the presidential race between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris is neck and neck, The Washington Post has decided not to make a presidential endorsement for the first time in 36 years, the publisher and CEO announced Friday."We are returning to our roots of not endorsing presidential candidates," Will Lewis wrote in an opinion piece published on the paper's website. He referenced the paper's policy in the decades prior to 1976, when, following the Watergate scandal that the Post broke, it endorsed Democratic nominee Jimmy Carter. The last time the Post did not endorse a presidential candidate in the general election was 1988, according to a search of its archives.Colleagues learned the news from the editorial page editor, David Shipley, at a tense meeting shortly before Lewis' announcement. The meeting was characterized by someone with direct knowledge of discussions on condition of anonymity to speak about internal matters.Shipley said that he told other editorial board leaders Thursday by management that there would be no endorsement, though he has known for weeks. He added that he "owns" this decision. The reason he cited was to create "independent space" where the newspaper does not tell people for whom to vote.Colleagues were said to be "shocked" and uniformly negative. Post corporate spokespeople have not responded to multiple messages left by NPR on the subject.Former Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron, who led the newsroom to acclaim during Trump's presidency, denounced the decision starkly."This is cowardice, a moment of darkness that will leave democracy as a casualty," Baron said in a statement to NPR. "Donald Trump will celebrate this as an invitation to further intimidate The Post’s owner, Jeff Bezos (and other media owners). History will mark a disturbing chapter of spinelessness at an institution famed for courage."A similar decision by Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong led this week to the resignations of the paper's editorials editor and two editorial board members. Soon-Shiong said that he had asked the editorial board to draft a "factual analysis" of Trump and Harris' policies and plans. In her resignation letter, editorials editor Mariel Garza said the decision made the paper look “craven and hypocritical,” given its past reporting and editorials on Trump.

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