It is time to make two years of study at any one of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MinnState) community and technical colleges “free.” Of course, college is never really free. The Minnesota State Legislature must decide whether or not to foot the bill. In the previous 2022 legislative session, such a program was included in the House DFL higher education spending bill but Democrats were unable to reach agreement with Senate Republicans. The 2022 election changed the equation. In my view, a “Free College Minnesota” grant program is achievable in the 2023 session, if we only find the political will.
Over the past decade, many states (Oregon, Tennessee, Hawaii, New York to name a few) have developed “free college” grants. Most are so-called “last dollar” programs that require students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), accept all qualifying aid first, and meet established requirements (e.g. full-time study, residency, maintaining academic progress, family income limit, and some are limited to two-year public colleges and/or the first two years of public universities). Free college programs cover tuition but often not books, fees, and general living expenses. The proposal put forward by House Democrats in 2022 would have cost the state $30 million per year. Minnesota currently has a $17 billion surplus.
One critique is that free college programs are most helpful to middle class folks. Families under or around the poverty level tend to already qualify for federal and state aid that meet the cost of public two-year college tuition (if they are able to complete the FAFSA process). Historically, state aid is targeted to lower-income families with the big exception of Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO), which allows high school students to enroll in college classes for free without income restrictions.
Some argue that there ought to be “skin in the game,” in that students should pay a substantial chunk of the cost to fully appreciate the opportunity. Others contend we already have a free college program in PSEO, so why bother? Finally, there is the perennial argument that college is not for everyone and high school grads may be better off directly joining the workforce.
The case for free college
An ideal Free College Minnesota program would support students with the most need. This might include extra help for books and other expenses, as well as professional assistance in completing the FAFSA before graduating high school. The Minnesota Department of Higher Education reports that about $46 million in federal aid go unused annually in the state, because many high school students do not complete the FAFSA and thus are unable to accept Federal Pell Grants for which they qualify. (The legislature is now considering requiring FAFSA completion for high school graduation.) The skin in the game argument is unconvincing. Our students have everything to gain and much to lose. If they do not make academic progress, the opportunity is lost.
Moreover, I contend that a post-secondary certificate, credential or two-year degree is useful for just about everyone. PSEO, on the other hand, is not a good fit for every kid. I love my PSEO high school students, and the program is fantastic for those prepared for college-level work (I don’t know about my fellow MinnPost readers, but that certainly wasn’t me in high school). Yet some families face a tough decision regarding PSEO… either encourage their 16-year-old to take college courses for which they may not be prepared or miss an opportunity. Why are Minnesota’s kids suddenly less deserving of our support once they graduate high school?
How we talk about college matters
Over the past decade, the conversation around higher education has included some bleak assessments: It’s crazy expensive and leads to crushing debt. It’s not worth the effort in a good job market. College is not for everyone. Not surprisingly, bad PR and demographic decline in high school graduation numbers led to lower enrollment for colleges here in Minnesota and across the country. COVID compounded the problem.
It is important that we define college broadly to include technical career programs, certificate programs, and, yes, traditional liberal arts programs. It is accurate that not everyone will want or need a traditional four-year degree. Yet, I can think of very few who would not benefit from one of the accessible, affordable options available in the MinnState system.
Traditional residential colleges, public and private, challenge family budgets, but many first-generation students don’t know there are other paths. Too few understand that they qualify for free or very affordable tuition (hence millions in Pell Grants left on the table). Instead, they take on hourly jobs with weak long-term prospects. With recent increases in starting wages and low unemployment, this makes short-term sense. But over the longer-term, earning gaps widen and professional advancement is hard to achieve.
So, MinnState, the Minnesota State Legislature, and Gov. Tim Walz must speak with one clear message targeted to our graduating high school students. All Minnesotans can afford to attend our public two-year community and technical colleges. And most will do so for free.
[image_caption]Zack Sullivan[/image_caption]
Still, Free College Minnesota would be an enormous step forward. It is well established that higher education improves career readiness, supports our business community, expands our middle class, and, in so doing, advances civic and economic life in our communities. Recent studies indicate that free college programs motivate those who think that they cannot afford college to apply and enroll. Participating students are then more likely to complete at least a two-year degree. Lower-income, first-generation, and minority students specifically benefit when college is considered an opportunity for all rather than a privilege for the few.
Simply put: Free college would make Minnesota stronger and more equitable. If you agree, please contact your state legislators in support.
Zack Sullivan is a professor of political science and history at Inver Hills Community College in Inver Grove Heights.
Minnesota taxpayers pay billions of their hard earned tax dollars yearly for public schools, with poor results. Now some want them to foot the bill for college, no thank you. College is overpriced and overvalued. Why are so many folks who borrowed money for college, unable to pay it back? BTW, taxpayers are expected to pay for folks who took out a loan for college (with the promise to pay it back) and will not or can not pay it back….. Does anyone else see a pattern that is great for everyone except taxpayers?
Are college graduates exempt from paying taxes? Heck, I need to have a word with my accountant!
If you can’t pay your college loan you promised to repay, I wonder if you would be able to pay taxes?
You’ll probably pay more taxes since you won’t be able to deduct student loan interest anymore
It’s a question of priorities. Given the disparity in the coercive powers of the IRS vs. those of the Department of Education, I suspect the choice is not a difficult one.
“College is overpriced and overvalued.”
Maybe a quick summary of career paths for those right after high school with no further education? And don’t tell us about apprenticeship programs: they are dead or rolled into Technical Colleges. We only need so many convenience store clerks and drive through attendants.
Two years of Community College or Technical College for free or near free is a long term money making deal for the state. Both Community Colleges and Technical Colleges provide good credit opportunities to transfer to a four year institution for a 4 year degree the student pays for. (With a new student loan program if needed.) A two year degree is focused on preparing for a job and that is a good thing for the state.
Edward, please explain the billions of dollars in student loans not being paid back. If college was a great deal wouldn’t the folks who took out the loan, just pay it back with the money they make from their college degree.
National Student Loan Default Rate [2023]: Delinquency Datahttps://educationdata.org › student-loan-default-rate
Jan 8, 2022 — An average of 7.1% of student loans are in default at any given time.
And, unlike all the sweetheart loans Donald Trump escaped from thru bankruptcy, student loans are more like loan shark arrangements. Take out a loan for the first semester of your Freshman year the interest starts piling up. Want to take the Trump bankruptcy off ramp? Not an option.
Amen to making college loans dischargeable via bankruptcy.
Of course, if that happens, you won’t be able to guarantee loans anymore. That would be a recipe for disaster. Like any other loan, the person loaning the money needs to be able to assess the riskiness of the loan. Someone who wanted to take out $100K to go to a private university and get a degree in underwater basket weaving probably won’t get that loan approved.
You make the faulty assumption that only people with a degree have a student loan. 40% of the people with student loan debt never got the degree that would help them increase their earning power.
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/student-debt-no-degree
Being in the hiring business, they are overpriced and overvalued. My (large) company is focusing on experience in place of as well as college education.
Besides, why should those of us who have paid for our own also have to pay for someone else’s college bills?
It’s called an investment into one’s self. Be responsible and accountable. Just because it’s a good idea doesn’t mean it’s right. Plus it’s irresponsible.
Also, Joe is right. Why hand out money on more education when you can’t even figure out the education you are already funding? They keep saying they need more money – though we throw money at education hand over fist. And we have worse outcomes.
Fix that first.
Of course, this writer works for a community college that would benefit. Job security?
I hope your business and all of your customers and suppliers paid back every penny of the forgivable PPP loans they have received. Otherwise, why is your pandemic relief more important than a person with a student loan’s pandemic relief?
I don’t disagree that many people shouldn’t be required to get a degree to do a lot of jobs. But most businesses are requiring it. Where, may I ask, will the people you want to hire get the experience you require if you’re the only one hiring without a degree?
This is a general comment because I know nothing about Bob’s hiring process, but I’ve often seen “bachelor’s degree OR X amount of experience doing Y.” Those who qualify without a degree often start in an entry-level position and have the more responsibilities assigned when necessary. As such, they get to master one skill at a time on the job until they have enough experience to be completely qualified to take full responsibility for a next-level job.
Yeah. Theoretically that’s how it works. But when even the “entry level” jobs require a degree, that’s not actually how it works. I mean, pretty much everyone can get an entry level job at a fast food joint, but no one works their way up from burger flipper to being a machinist or plumber or banker (or whatever job Bob is hiring for). I also would like to point out that there’s a reason that people who don’t have degrees make an average of significantly less than those who do – it’s because those jobs pay less. Don’t have a degree? Bob will hire you. And maybe Bob pays more than flipping burgers, but you had to have survived on diddly for long enough to get Bob’s wages. Is it better to live on diddly for years while waiting for Bob to hire you, or live with student loans?
I don’t know.
But at least the people who have degrees aren’t likely to be sneered at by conservatives about how if they wanted to get ahead, they should have gotten an education? Instead they get sneered at for having lived beyond their means to get an education, and by golly *I* shouldn’t have to pay for that (even though when I went to school, it was affordable and/or mom and dad paid for it).
I’ve met a lot of people who gained relevant career experience without having a degree. This one guy at a Chamber of Commerce event told me he started at the bottom, sweeping the warehouse floors part-time for his father’s company. After doing well with that he moved to sales, and then learned how to do the books and was eventually in charge of every department, which is how he learned the intricacies of business that you don’t learn in college. That guy is now a CEO. I also had a classmate who was night manager of a small-town supermarket at age 16, allowing him to have the “preferred” qualification of 5 years of management experience in addition to a bachelor’s degree for his entry-level job processing loans for a large business. Sure, it took his grandfather being friends with the supermarket owner and cashing in a bucket of chips to hire a teenager with no experience as a manager, but good on him for not screwing it up. He’s now a bigwig for a financial institution. Another successful guy I met said he was just one of many dudes doing the same job for a large company, but after playing golf with the executives (because he was good at golf), his division boss saw something special in him and took him under his wing. This meant getting an inside look at the high-level dealmaking among corporate executives — which you definitely can’t learn in college. He makes high-level business deals on his own now. They all ended up getting degrees anyway. I could go on and on with examples just like these, but the bottom line is that anyone can be just as successful as these guys if they just had a little gumption.
“I could go on and on with examples just like these, but the bottom line is that anyone can be just as successful as these guys if they just had a little gumption.”
And a father who owns the business, or a grandfather who can pull the right strings, or the ability to shmooze on the links.
Sorry, these stories are not particularly inspiring.
Hmm. Any of these examples less than 30 years old and/or not include a family member or friend who gave them an opportunity no one else got? I’ve heard lots of your examples, but few (if any) are modern. Back in the day, you didn’t have to have a degree to do a lot of jobs that now apparently require one. And having a daddy who owned a business who gave you a job isn’t gumption. It’s luck, at best (but most often it’s nepotism). Oh, and being good at golf also isn’t gumption. That’s called a good ol’ boys club (or as we recognize it today as it really is – bias).
*edited to add – My bad if you were being facetious. Some people actually do believe that those examples are “hard work” and “earned” promotion, so I don’t always know when a person is just yanking my chain or actually touting the value of “hard work” like this.
To answer your two questions: No. And Yes. All of the modern (less than 10 years ago) examples involve a family member, a friend, or a powerful older coworker who liked the cut of your jib and gave someone a huge break (even though we all know that we all make our own breaks) in the form of mentorship or a promotion not available to anyone else.
It’s important to note that a lot of these types of guys (it’s still mostly guys) are now in position to influence public policy as well as their professional realms.
Joe should provide the historical quote by the Nixon and Regan advisor that explains why conservatives hate anyone with an education and precipitated their work to make it harder to access. Since he is afraid of being honest, I will oblige. “We are in danger of producing an educated proletariat. … That’s dynamite! We have to be selective on who we allow [to go to college].”
Maybe we should expand merit based scholarships for programs with economic applications like STEM, trades etc…. Need good grades to qualify and need to study something likely to lead to supporting a middle class or better lifestyle.
Why do you feel a well-rounded, rigorous education in critical thinking and wide ranging subject matter is only necessary for those of middle class income and above? I’ll keep shouting it, until I’m blue in the face, higher education is about creating an educated, civilized society. If employers desire educational training for their potential employees, THEY SHOULD PAY FOR IT! This idea that college education is about nothing more than job training needs to end. Our society needs citizens, not automatons, so gullible as to be duped by whatever soothsayers demand their support.
Once upon a time, and not that long ago, we had a Governor who claimed he had a plan to provide two years of free college or technical school to most, if not all, high school graduates in the state. When he was pressed for details, the Governor responded with his signature smirk, saying we would have to re-elect him to find out.
He was re-elected, but started being mentioned by well-meaning but ignorant national pundits as one of the new faces in the Republican Party. That put an end to any free college ideas, of course. The Governor rebranded himself as a staunch fiscal and cultural conservative, and launched a run for the Presidency that could kindly be described as quixotic.
The end.
A somewhat recent governor with a signature smirk who had a plan for two free years of college? Who could you possibly be talking about?
The only governor I recall with a signature smirk defunded the U of M so much that tuition increased 63 percent over four years to cover the shortfall. Shirley we can’t be talking about the same governor?
Might his first name be Tim? No not that one, the other Tim.
That would be the one. Consistency was never his strong suit.
The party of free stuff strikes again. Want to go to college for free? Join the military and use the resultant GI Bill education benefits. At least then you can say you earned it.
Heck of a system that would condition education on a willingness to kill or be killed.
My eye doctor received her education as a result of her stint in the Air Force. She says she never would have been able to afford it otherwise. I have it on good authority that she never saw combat. Nevertheless, we thanked each other for our service.
The US military is well aware of the impact lowering the cost of college would have on their recruitment efforts.
I think of the soldiers I would see on the news: join the National Guard, get money for college, but before you enroll, it’s off to Iraq for some reason (“It’s what you signed up for!”).
You know DT perhaps you missed the economics of an education. Uncle Sam paid for my education, Before College degree ~ $12-13K A year, after college, ~$35-40K/year and increasing more rapidly than my previous foundry job ever would have. With a little math you would note that there will be a significant increase in taxes paid both at a federal and state level, vs no degree. When I retired, I suspect I was paying close to 2X in Federal Income tax per year than what Uncle Sam plugged into my entire college education. You think that was a worth while transaction for Uncle Sam and me, whether I served or not? For every 3-4% that don’t turn out so hot, there are probably 95% that do quite well, you know like the home mortgage industry!
This chart explains really well what de-funding higher education has done to the costs of attendance:
https://www.ohe.state.mn.us/dPg.cfm?pageID=812
If we could just reset tuition to 1980 costs adjusted for inflation we would be helping a lot of people. That would reduce full-year tuition costs to $2200 at a community college instead of the current cost of $6200. How about a $4000 grant (renewable for 2 years) for any Minnesota high school graduate that can be used at any public college in the state?
The average college graduate starting salary is around $55,260.
The unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders is 3.5 percent. By contrast, the unemployment rate for high school graduates is 6.2 percent.
https://www.bankrate.com/loans/student-loans/average-college-graduate-salary/
Just the other day we were reading that iron workers, who have some of the more dangerous jobs, top salary is around $58,000.
Everyone should be able to afford either college or technical school…but I often wonder…k-12 is free, so why is college so insanely expensive?
And…don’t ignore that the vast majority of ‘worst’ k-12 educational systems and poverty are located in repub states, as well as shortest life spans and most crime.
Why is affordable life, healthcare something repubs are opposed to?
College is expensive because of a couple of things: 1. Demand; 2. Sports and other pork on campus. I support anyone wanting to go to college, but the demand is manufactured by employers who require a degree for jobs that definitely don’t need a degree. Why? I think it’s actually a way to suppress wages by limiting employee mobility. If you’re leveraged up to the eyeballs for your expensive college (for a job that can’t pay for your education on a year-to-year basis straight up, let alone with the interest), then you REALLY need that job. If you can’t afford to leave your job, you can’t afford to demand more.
As far as the pork – potential students should be able to choose whether they pay for sports and fancy restaurants on campus. Or whether their college is competing for some sort of ranking. But really, if they do, they must choose between a ranked school, which opens doors to them, or one that doesn’t. Or a community college, which in my opinion, are far too undervalued. Almost all medium and large colleges have an athletic program on their main campus. The largest part of the athletic budget for the vast majority of those colleges, often tens of millions of dollars a year, comes from student fees (65%+). Most students can’t opt out of paying those fees. For many students, that means more than $1000 a year in extra fees that aren’t going toward their actual education. Yeah, I can fork out $1000 a year for something I don’t absolutely need or want after 16 years in a profession, but a student borrowing money? That compounds interest? That’s outrageous. US colleges also spend more on non-teaching staff than teaching staff. Why? Because those staff help colleges compete for students. The problem is that those staff cost money, and it’s not clear how much they actually bring in by bringing in students.
It’s true that college sports are costly but the loss factor isn’t as great as you imagine as some do earn profits, but I do agree, we overly emphasize college sports.
Many businesses demanded college degrees to help cut down the number of applicants, but here again,I agree we place too much emphasis on a college degree…but no matter…we should be able to afford college.
Not sure where you came up with 65% of student fees go to support athletics. I found it’s closer to 10%.
There are more than 4000 colleges in the US. Fewer than 2 dozen make money on athletics. And I didn’t say that 65% of student fees go toward athletics, but that 65% of athletics budgets come from student fees. I can see how you interpreted it that way, to be fair. That said, even 10% of student fees is going toward something that students will have to pay for for a long time. Even if it’s only hundreds per student per year, compounded over decades, that’s a great way to wind up living with your parents for most of your adult life.
A recent article on this issue: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/education/hidden-figures-college-students-may-be-paying-thousands-athletic-fees-n1145171
The labor costs are going to be high for a college. You can’t expect to find a ton of people with PhDs who are willing to work for nothing. They’re trying to do that with adjuncts but they can’t replace the whole department with adjunct professors and get accreditation.
Yet, when I got my PhD, no one was offering me a salary that looked like a football coach’s salary. Nor is a PhD likely necessary for the crew of professionals whose job it is to convince people to donate their money or attract students to the university. I’m all for paying professors to teach, and I’m supportive of paying more for a PhD (I have one – if I wasn’t making good money because of it, I would truly tell no one to get one because it was a really unfun experience). But I’m not so ok with hiding all kinds of other pork behind fees and tuition. I’m certain that no one, aside from those who get sports-based scholarships, needs a football team to get a degree.
Another case of “Let’s use other people’s money to do things I like!”
If education is an unalloyed good thing, why not start a foundation with like minded people and spend your own money on sending kids to college for free? Put some of your own skin in the game. If you aren’t willing to do that, why should all of us be expected to be forced into paying?
A charitable foundation would do a far better job of spending money on college tuition than any government. Since it was their own money being spent, they’d be far more careful about who they gave money to and then they’d make sure those people succeeded so the money wasn’t wasted.
Yes and while we’re at it let’s run a bake sale to fund the defense department
Public support for items essential to the common good is in all our best interests
Education falls in that category
Ole, if farming is such a good thing why do the tax payers have to provide price supports, shouldn’t there be a Farm salvation charity put together to cover those price supports?
If church’s and religion is such a good thing, why are they pardoned from paying taxes? Why does the average , non-religious, tax payer have to cover their share?
If workers up on the range get laid off why do we have an unemployment fund to cover them, shouldn’t we just have a charity that they can go beg at?
If Corporations are such a good thing, why do they need special tax treatment, shouldn’t there be a special Corporation Charity to cover that.
Do we need to go on?
I support this idea, especially using the ‘last dollar’ model to leverage Fed aid.
I wonder how would it impact the State U system tuition fee revenue? They just requested $350M for a tuition freeze, this on top of the $1B the state currently provides.
Sadly, with our present high school graduates (on average) about one of the two free years would be used on remedial classes just to get the students up to college level. Worse, the math and reading levels are even worse for many of the minorities that this idea is supposed to help.
I don’t think today’s students need anything more, for the most part, than previous generations. There are a lot more functionally illiterate people than you might realize – half of adult Americans can’t read a book written at an 8th grade level. They just previously weren’t required to get a college degree to get a job.
Zach, its not free. The taxpayers pay for it.
Yes, taxpayers pay for government services (like public education) that benefit taxpayers. That’s how government works.
Once again, college graduates are also taxpayers.
Just 2 points: Its not “FREE” it is tax payer funded. In 1968-69 and again in 1977 I attended Technical College in Eastern Wisconsin, in both instances, the tuition cost was Taxpayer funded. The point being this is nothing new, been around for well over a 1/2 century in some places, the Republicans of old used to call it an investment in our future, because trained kids were/are good for business, evidently all that republican philosophy is now dead.
I’m of two minds, I actually think tech college being free is great, as long as it is going towards trades that we actually need. It is a minimal investment that will pay back long term in a career someone would have from a tax standpoint, I’m cool with that. However, I don’t feel the same about two additional free years of general education or some useless field of study that doesn’t promote a career. You’re basically paying for two more expensive years of high school for most people then, an I don’t see why anyone should subsidize that.
If people want to go to tech schools for Nursing and Medical, STEM fields, etc… by all means, those should be fully funded. But General Ed, Photography, there is a Program major for Brewing and Beer technology at DCTC…we should not be paying for those. Awesome they have those things, and if people want to spend their own money on those things go for it, but we’re not going to get a return on those investments. Means test the programs we will fund based on the need for the job market to increase the likelihood of success for students going to tech college, and I’m 100% on board.
So Craft brewing is a useless enterprise?
Minnesota’s craft brewing industry generated $1.0 billion of economic activity in Minnesota during 2019 (includes impacts generated from beer production, food service, and capital investments). Of this, $383.9 million was labor income. The industry supported 8,435 workers in the state.
Photographers (~ $23/hr)
https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes274021.htm
Be careful on your picking and choosing what is a worthwhile investment and what isn’t!
It isn’t about what industries do, it is about means testing based upon what we need. The studies of beer crafting and photography are studies of passion, and I’m sure those who go into them do great, that isn’t the point though, our demand is in the STEM fields, engineers for the next generation of careers. That is what I mean by means testing the fields we subsidize and make free.
Not all fields of study are the same, again, nothing against the beer crafters of the world, but if we were making tech school free so everyone can go and everyone can be a beer crafter….we’re going to end up with a ton of people with something they will never use and we’ve wasted a ton of money on their further education because we just cannot support that many jobs in that field…or at least, our livers cannot handle it. That is where the problem lies. We need to encourage people take the free opportunity for something that will be useful for them as a career and benefiting society as a whole in the long run if we’re using public money for it.
Go study beer crafting if you like, I’ll have a pint of your finest when done, but that still doesn’t mean collectively we should make that free when it’s not something we need for the future.
After my brother-in-law got out of the Navy, he used his GI Bill benefits to train for a career in a good, solid trade that was always going to be in demand. He became a TV repairman.
I went to a college that offered only “some useless field of study that doesn’t promote a career.” My classmates are now working in finance, insurance, education, technology and other fields. Only a few of them did any significant graduate study.
What do you have against beer? Brewing in MN is a $2B per year industry.