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Guest Essay

Community College Should Be More Than Just Free

By David L. Kirp

Mr. Kirp is a professor at the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, and the author, most recently, of “The College Dropout Scandal.”

Free community college for everyone is the centerpiece of President Biden’s $302 billion, 10-year investment in expanding access to higher education. Though it has been hailed as a revolutionary proposal, this walking-through-the-door access doesn’t solve higher education’s biggest challenge — boosting the number of community college students who graduate or transfer to a four-year school.

As one undergraduate said: “Anyone can get into college. The challenge is staying in college.”

The data tells an abysmal tale. Only four in 10 community college students earn a degree or transfer to a university within six years. Eighty percent of community college freshmen aspire to a bachelor’s degree or higher, but fewer than a sixth of them reach their goal.

Those who would benefit the most from an associate degree fare especially badly. Just 36 percent of Latino students and 28 percent of Black students graduate. Students from low-income families do worse. Among those with family incomes below $30,000, fewer than one in six earn a degree.

Never underestimate the power of “free.” Students who grow up in poverty are acutely price-sensitive — justifiably so, since they are often perpetually on the brink of going broke — and they’re more likely to earn an associate degree if tuition is eliminated. Tennessee became the first state to make community college free, in 2015, and the graduation rate has increased to 25 percent from 22 percent since then. But zero-tuition community college will discourage these students from enrolling in an open-admissions university like Middle Tennessee State, where half of the students earn a bachelor’s degree.

Let’s be clear — I’m a critical friend, not a basher, of community colleges. For more than a century, these schools have been a portal to higher learning for millions of students who otherwise would have settled for a high school diploma. They admit African-Americans, Latinos and immigrants at about the same rate as these groups’ representation in the United States. That’s a substantially higher rate than their representation in four-year schools.

After visiting some of these schools, I came to appreciate how the best of them truly serve as engines of mobility. For example, thousands more students have graduated from Valencia College, in Orlando, Fla., since the school created a seamless path to the University of Central Florida across town.

At the City University of New York, more than half the community college students enrolled in ASAP (Accelerated Study in Associate Programs) — a model that combines comprehensive financial support with “I-have-your-back counseling” and course schedules that take into account the demands of family and work — graduate in three years. That’s more than double the percentage of CUNY community college students who earn a degree in the same amount of time.

Nationwide, if the community college graduation rate is going to rise, data-driven strategies like these need to be replicated.

Here’s what else has been shown to move the needle.

Telling students how to find schools that match their interests, with information about those colleges’ academic offerings and graduation rates, as well estimates of the cost, leads them to choose better schools.

Personalized text-message nudges can prod students into getting to and staying in college.

Parsing the voluminous amount of student information that an institution collects enables it to spot signs of trouble, like receiving a failing grade on a midterm or missing classes, before they ripen into crises. Those students are quickly connected to invaluable academic and counseling support.

A brief experience for college freshmen, designed by social psychologists to promote a sense of belonging, concentrates on rebutting a core belief of many students that “I am an impostor.” As a result, students become more tenacious when confronted with academic and social challenges.

These strategies work equally well at universities. When John Jay College, ranked 67th among “regional universities-north” by U.S. News & World Report, tested the ASAP model, nearly 60 percent of the students in its first cohort in 2015 graduated in four years. That’s about twice the school’s overall graduation rate and considerably higher than the nationwide average. At the University of Texas, the “belonging” experience halved the difference between the percent of Black and white students who completed their freshman year requirements.

But President Biden’s American Family Plan leaves four-year colleges and universities out in the cold. Their students get no help with tuition, and the schools receive little if any of the $650 billion the plan designates for colleges’ student success initiatives. While the cost of subsidizing these students was doubtlessly a factor, the omission is a mistake. Not only is the graduation rate of these institutions 50 percent higher than that of community colleges, the financial situation of their low-income students is just as shaky.

Instead of making community college free for everyone, four-year schools should be on the same financial footing as two-year schools. Lower tuition and fees on a sliding scale, with free college for those whose families earn up to $100,000 and subsidies for families earning up to $150,000.

President Biden’s plan wisely allocates $600 million for historically Black colleges and universities. Don’t other private, nonprofit colleges that educate substantial numbers of low-income, minority and first-generation students deserve to be treated just as well?

David L. Kirp ( @DavidKirp ) is a professor at the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, and the author, most recently, of “The College Dropout Scandal.”

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It’s Time for Free Community College: Here Are 5 Reasons Why

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A version of this essay first appeared on The Kresge Foundation.

M aking community college tuition-free should be a national priority.

It would help counter recent enrollment declines at our nation’s community colleges. It would help produce the trained employees businesses say they are lacking. Most importantly, it would bring low-income students and students of color into higher education, a place where they have traditionally been excluded.

President Biden’s proposal to make community college tuition-free isn’t the only way to accomplish these goals. But it’s bold, and it’s on the table, ready for action.

The American Families Plan outlines a sweeping array of investments in child care, education, and teacher training, and commits $109 billion to eliminate tuition at community colleges. Recognizing that tuition is not the only hurdle students face, Biden’s plan includes a $62 billion investment in student retention and degree completion strategies and $80 billion to increase Pell Grants.

The plan also calls for other investments that would benefit community college students, including reductions in child care costs, expansion in nutrition assistance and establishment of a national paid family and medical leave program.

President Biden’s free tuition proposal would build on state programs for recent high school graduates ( Tennessee Promise and Oregon Promise) and adult learners ( Tennessee Reconnects and Michigan Reconnects ). According to pre-pandemic polling, it’s a political winner, especially among younger adults and those without a college degree .

Here are five goals political and education leaders have championed for years that could be accomplished with the right legislation.

First, a national initiative to make community college tuition-free would communicate a clear message to all potential students that they will be able to afford at least some of the costs of college — and that they should consider attending.

Second, this initiative could reduce racial disparities in who gets a college education. Programs that provide free community college tuition have been found to increase college enrollment for Black and Hispanic students. Some education beyond high school is increasingly needed for “good jobs.” Yet access to higher education is unequal, as demonstrated by persisting differences in college-related outcomes across demographic groups. Without action, these differences in college access and degree completion will likely increase, given the disproportionate negative impacts of COVID-19 on underserved people and communities and enduring systemic racism.

Third, this policy could catalyze other efforts to address the systematic inequalities that limit educational attainment. Only 27 percent of first-time, full-time students who first enrolled in a community college in 2015 completed a certificate or associate degree within three years. This is an opportunity to ensure that more students who enroll finish. It’s also an opportunity to help more students move from K-12 to higher education, and from community college to a four-year university, without loss of credit.

Fourth, assuming that state and local governments at least maintain their support, this initiative could ensure that community colleges have the resources needed to serve their diverse and historically underserved populations. When enrollment declines, tuition revenue and government funding based on enrollment also decline. Even before the pandemic, community colleges spent less per student than other institutions. Advising, academic support, and other wraparound services can improve student outcomes, but they require resources.

Finally, this is an opportunity to reconsider the roles and responsibilities of federal, state, and local stakeholders in providing high-quality, affordable, equitable, and accessible public higher education. Free community college could encourage stakeholders to create a shared understanding that everyone should have access to “12 + 2” years of education. It is also an opportunity to systematically align resources available from other sources (such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid, workforce training, etc.) to meet the needs and circumstances of adults and other learners.

Community colleges are an essential component of our nation’s higher education system. Often the most geographically proximate higher education institution, community colleges enroll diverse students with diverse educational goals and needs. Eighteen and nineteen-year-olds beginning the path to a four-year degree. Hourly workers who want careers. People who had one career and now want or need another. Many have kids. Most have at least one job.

Making community college tuition free won’t be easy. As Biden’s plan recognizes — we will need to invest new resources . We will need to ensure these initiatives reduce costs for low-income students . And we will need to design a federal-state partnership that rewards states for their investments in higher education, compensates for differences in state wealth and other resources , and recognizes that state higher education systems and policies vary.

Yet a well-designed federal initiative that partners with states to make community college tuition-free could encourage renewed effort toward making system-level changes that address seemingly intractable issues. Making America’s community colleges tuition-free could revitalize these institutions, ensure that employers have skilled workers, and enable people from low-income families and other underserved groups to get access to better jobs and the many other benefits of a college degree.

Laura W. Perna is vice provost for faculty and GSE Centennial Presidential Professor of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. Edward J. Smith is program officer with The Kresge Foundation. Perna and Smith are co-editors of Improving research-based knowledge of College Promise Programs (American Educational Research Association, 2020).

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Laura W. Perna is vice provost for faculty and GSE Centennial Presidential Professor of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. She is a co-editor of Improving research-based knowledge of College Promise Programs (American Educational Research Association, 2020).  

Edward J. Smith is program officer with The Kresge Foundation. He is a co-editor of Improving research-based knowledge of College Promise Programs (American Educational Research Association, 2020).  

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Should College Be Free? The Pros and Cons

Types of Publicly Funded College Tuition Programs

Pros: why college should be free, cons: why college should not be free, what the free college debate means for students, how to cut your college costs now, frequently asked questions (faqs).

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Americans have been debating the wisdom of free college for decades, and more than 30 states now offer some type of free college program. But it wasn't until 2021 that a nationwide free college program came close to becoming reality, re-energizing a longstanding debate over whether or not free college is a good idea. 

And despite a setback for the free-college advocates, the idea is still in play. The Biden administration's free community college proposal was scrapped from the American Families Plan . But close observers say that similar proposals promoting free community college have drawn solid bipartisan support in the past. "Community colleges are one of the relatively few areas where there's support from both Republicans and Democrats," said Tulane economics professor Douglas N. Harris, who has previously consulted with the Biden administration on free college, in an interview with The Balance. 

To get a sense of the various arguments for and against free college, as well as the potential impacts on U.S. students and taxpayers, The Balance combed through studies investigating the design and implementation of publicly funded free tuition programs and spoke with several higher education policy experts. Here's what we learned about the current debate over free college in the U.S.—and more about how you can cut your college costs or even get free tuition through existing programs.

Key Takeaways

• Research shows free tuition programs encourage more students to attend college and increase graduation rates, which creates a better-educated workforce and higher-earning consumers who can help boost the economy. 
• Some programs are criticized for not paying students’ non-tuition expenses, not benefiting students who need assistance most, or steering students toward community college instead of four-year programs.  
• If you want to find out about free programs in your area, the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education has a searchable database. You’ll find the link further down in this article. 

Before diving into the weeds of the free college debate, it's important to note that not all free college programs are alike. Most publicly funded tuition assistance programs are restricted to the first two years of study, typically at community colleges. Free college programs also vary widely in the ways they’re designed, funded, and structured:

• Last-dollar tuition-free programs : These programs cover any remaining tuition after a student has used up other financial aid , such as Pell Grants. Most state-run free college programs fall into this category. However, these programs don’t typically help with room and board or other expenses.
• First-dollar tuition-free programs : These programs pay for students' tuition upfront, although they’re much rarer than last-dollar programs. Any remaining financial aid that a student receives can then be applied to other expenses, such as books and fees. The California College Promise Grant is a first-dollar program because it waives enrollment fees for eligible students.
• Debt-free programs : These programs pay for all of a student's college expenses , including room and board, guaranteeing that they can graduate debt-free. But they’re also much less common, likely due to their expense.  

Proponents often argue that publicly funded college tuition programs eventually pay for themselves, in part by giving students the tools they need to find better jobs and earn higher incomes than they would with a high school education. The anticipated economic impact, they suggest, should help ease concerns about the costs of public financing education. Here’s a closer look at the arguments for free college programs.

A More Educated Workforce Benefits the Economy

Morley Winograd, President of the Campaign for Free College Tuition, points to the economic and tax benefits that result from the higher wages of college grads. "For government, it means more revenue," said Winograd in an interview with The Balance—the more a person earns, the more they will likely pay in taxes . In addition, "the country's economy gets better because the more skilled the workforce this country has, the better [it’s] able to compete globally." Similarly, local economies benefit from a more highly educated, better-paid workforce because higher earners have more to spend. "That's how the economy grows," Winograd explained, “by increasing disposable income."

According to Harris, the return on a government’s investment in free college can be substantial. "The additional finding of our analysis was that these things seem to consistently pass a cost-benefit analysis," he said. "The benefits seem to be at least double the cost in the long run when we look at the increased college attainment and the earnings that go along with that, relative to the cost and the additional funding and resources that go into them." 

Free College Programs Encourage More Students to Attend

Convincing students from underprivileged backgrounds to take a chance on college can be a challenge, particularly when students are worried about overextending themselves financially. But free college programs tend to have more success in persuading students to consider going, said Winograd, in part because they address students' fears that they can't afford higher education . "People who wouldn't otherwise think that they could go to college, or who think the reason they can't is [that] it's too expensive, [will] stop, pay attention, listen, decide it's an opportunity they want to take advantage of, and enroll," he said.

According to Harris, students also appear to like the certainty and simplicity of the free college message. "They didn't want to have to worry that next year they were not going to have enough money to pay their tuition bill," he said. "They don't know what their finances are going to look like a few months down the road, let alone next year, and it takes a while to get a degree. So that matters." 

Free college programs can also help send "a clear and tangible message" to students and their families that a college education is attainable for them, said Michelle Dimino, an Education Director with Third Way. This kind of messaging is especially important to first-generation and low-income students, she said. 

Free College Increases Graduation Rates and Financial Security

Free tuition programs appear to improve students’ chances of completing college. For example, Harris noted that his research found a meaningful link between free college tuition and higher graduation rates. "What we found is that it did increase college graduation at the two-year college level, so more students graduated than otherwise would have." 

Free college tuition programs also give people a better shot at living a richer, more comfortable life, say advocates. "It's almost an economic necessity to have some college education," noted Winograd. Similar to the way a high school diploma was viewed as crucial in the 20th century, employees are now learning that they need at least two years of college to compete in a global, information-driven economy. "Free community college is a way of making that happen quickly, effectively, and essentially," he explained. 

Free community college isn’t a universally popular idea. While many critics point to the potential costs of funding such programs, others identify issues with the effectiveness and fairness of current attempts to cover students’ college tuition. Here’s a closer look at the concerns about free college programs.

It Would Be Too Expensive

The idea of free community college has come under particular fire from critics who worry about the cost of social spending. Since community colleges aren't nearly as expensive as four-year colleges—often costing thousands of dollars a year—critics argue that individuals can often cover their costs using other forms of financial aid . But, they point out, community college costs would quickly add up when paid for in bulk through a free college program: Biden’s proposed free college plan would have cost $49.6 billion in its first year, according to an analysis from Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. Some opponents argue that the funds could be put to better use in other ways, particularly by helping students complete their degrees.

Free College Isn't Really Free

One of the most consistent concerns that people have voiced about free college programs is that they don’t go far enough. Even if a program offers free tuition, students will need to find a way to pay for other college-related expenses , such as books, room and board, transportation, high-speed internet, and, potentially, child care. "Messaging is such a key part of this," said Dimino. Students "may apply or enroll in college, understanding it's going to be free, but then face other unexpected charges along the way." 

It's important for policymakers to consider these factors when designing future free college programs. Otherwise, Dimino and other observers fear that students could potentially wind up worse off if they enroll and invest in attending college and then are forced to drop out due to financial pressures. 

Free College Programs Don’t Help the Students Who Need Them Most

Critics point out that many free college programs are limited by a variety of quirks and restrictions, which can unintentionally shut out deserving students or reward wealthier ones. Most state-funded free college programs are last-dollar programs, which don’t kick in until students have applied financial aid to their tuition. That means these programs offer less support to low-income students who qualify for need-based aid—and more support for higher-income students who don’t.

Community College May Not Be the Best Path for All Students

Some critics also worry that all students will be encouraged to attend community college when some would have been better off at a four-year institution. Four-year colleges tend to have more resources than community colleges and can therefore offer more support to high-need students. 

In addition, some research has shown that students at community colleges are less likely to be academically successful than students at four-year colleges, said Dimino. "Statistically, the data show that there are poorer outcomes for students at community colleges […] such as lower graduation rates and sometimes low transfer rates from two- to four-year schools." 

With Congress focused on other priorities, a nationwide free college program is unlikely to happen anytime soon. However, some states and municipalities offer free tuition programs, so students may be able to access some form of free college, depending on where they live. A good resource is the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education’s searchable database of Promise Programs , which lists more than 100 free community college programs, though the majority are limited to California residents.

In the meantime, school leaders and policymakers may shift their focus to other access and equity interventions for low-income students. For example, higher education experts Eileen Strempel and Stephen Handel published a book in 2021 titled "Beyond Free College: Making Higher Education Work for 21st Century Students." The book argues that policymakers should focus more strongly on college completion, not just college access. "There hasn't been enough laser-focus on how we actually get people to complete their degrees," noted Strempel in an interview with The Balance. 

Rather than just improving access for low-income college students, Strempel and Handel argue that decision-makers should instead look more closely at the social and economic issues that affect students , such as food and housing insecurity, child care, transportation, and personal technology. For example, "If you don't have a computer, you don't have access to your education anymore," said Strempel. "It's like today's pencil."

Saving money on college costs can be challenging, but you can take steps to reduce your cost of living. For example, if you're interested in a college but haven't yet enrolled, pay close attention to where it's located and how much residents typically pay for major expenses, such as housing, utilities, and food. If the college is located in a high-cost area, it could be tough to justify the living expenses you'll incur. Similarly, if you plan to commute, take the time to check gas or public transportation prices and calculate how much you'll likely have to spend per month to go to and from campus several times a week. 

Now that more colleges offer classes online, it may also be worth looking at lower-cost programs in areas that are farther from where you live, particularly if they allow you to graduate without setting foot on campus. Also, check out state and federal financial aid programs that can help you slim down your expenses, or, in some cases, pay for them completely. Finally, look into need-based and merit-based grants and scholarships that can help you cover even more of your expenses. Also, consider applying to no-loan colleges , which promise to help students graduate without going into debt.

Should community college be free?

It’s a big question with varying viewpoints. Supporters of free community college cite the economic contributions of a more educated workforce and the individual benefit of financial security, while critics caution against the potential expense and the inefficiency of last-dollar free college programs. 

What states offer free college?

More than 30 states offer some type of tuition-free college program, including Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington State. The University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education lists over 100 last-dollar community college programs and 16 first-dollar community college programs, though the majority are limited to California residents.

Is there a free college?

There is no such thing as a truly free college education. But some colleges offer free tuition programs for students, and more than 30 states offer some type of tuition-free college program. In addition, students may also want to check out employer-based programs. A number of big employers now offer to pay for their employees' college tuition . Finally, some students may qualify for enough financial aid or scholarships to cover most of their college costs.

Scholarships360. " Which States Offer Tuition-Free Community College? "

The White House. “ Build Back Better Framework ,” see “Bringing Down Costs, Reducing Inflationary Pressures, and Strengthening the Middle Class.”

The White House. “ Fact Sheet: How the Build Back Better Plan Will Create a Better Future for Young Americans ,” see “Education and Workforce Opportunities.”

Coast Community College District. “ California College Promise Grant .”

Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. “ The Dollars and Cents of Free College ,” see “Biden’s Free College Plan Would Pay for Itself Within 10 Years.”

Third Way. “ Why Free College Could Increase Inequality .”

Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. “ The Dollars and Cents of Free College ,” see “Free-College Programs Have Different Effects on Race and Class Equity.”

University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. “ College Promise Programs: A Comprehensive Catalog of College Promise Programs in the United States .”

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College & Careers

Tuition-free college is critical to our economy

Morley Winograd and Max Lubin

November 2, 2020, 13 comments.

To rebuild America’s economy in a way that offers everyone an equal chance to get ahead, federal support for free college tuition should be a priority in any economic recovery plan in 2021.

Research shows that the private and public economic benefit of free community college tuition would outweigh the cost. That’s why half of the states in the country already have some form of free college tuition.

The Democratic Party 2020 platform calls for making two years of community college tuition free for all students with a federal/state partnership similar to the Obama administration’s 2015 plan .

It envisions a program as universal and free as K-12 education is today, with all the sustainable benefits such programs (including Social Security and Medicare) enjoy. It also calls for making four years of public college tuition free, again in partnership with states, for students from families making less than $125,000 per year.

The Republican Party didn’t adopt a platform for the 2020 election, deferring to President Trump’s policies, which among other things, stand in opposition to free college. Congressional Republicans, unlike many of their state counterparts, also have not supported free college tuition in the past.

However, it should be noted that the very first state free college tuition program was initiated in 2015 by former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, a Republican. Subsequently, such deep red states with Republican majorities in their state legislature such as West Virginia, Kentucky and Arkansas have adopted similar programs.

Establishing free college tuition benefits for more Americans would be the 21st-century equivalent of the Depression-era Works Progress Administration initiative.

That program not only created immediate work for the unemployed, but also offered skills training for nearly 8 million unskilled workers in the 1930s. Just as we did in the 20th century, by laying the foundation for our current system of universal free high school education and rewarding our World War II veterans with free college tuition to help ease their way back into the workforce, the 21st century system of higher education we build must include the opportunity to attend college tuition-free.

California already has taken big steps to make its community college system, the largest in the nation, tuition free by fully funding its California Promise grant program. But community college is not yet free to all students. Tuition costs — just more than $1,500 for a full course load — are waived for low-income students. Colleges don’t have to spend the Promise funds to cover tuition costs for other students so, at many colleges, students still have to pay tuition.

At the state’s four-year universities, about 60% of students at the California State University and the same share of in-state undergraduates at the 10-campus University of California, attend tuition-free as well, as a result of Cal grants , federal Pell grants and other forms of financial aid.

But making the CSU and UC systems tuition-free for even more students will require funding on a scale that only the federal government is capable of supporting, even if the benefit is only available to students from families that makes less than $125,000 a year.

It is estimated that even without this family income limitation, eliminating tuition for four years at all public colleges and universities for all students would cost taxpayers $79 billion a year, according to U.S. Department of Education data . Consider, however, that the federal government  spent $91 billion  in 2016 on policies that subsidized college attendance. At least some of that could be used to help make public higher education institutions tuition-free in partnership with the states.

Free college tuition programs have proved effective in helping mitigate the system’s current inequities by increasing college enrollment, lowering dependence on student loan debt and improving completion rates , especially among students of color and lower-income students who are often the first in their family to attend college.

In the first year of the TN Promise , community college enrollment in Tennessee increased by 24.7%, causing 4,000 more students to enroll. The percentage of Black students in that state’s community college population increased from 14% to 19% and the proportion of Hispanic students increased from 4% to 5%.

Students who attend community college tuition-free also graduate at higher rates. Tennessee’s first Promise student cohort had a 52.6% success rate compared to only a 38.9% success rate for their non-Promise peers. After two years of free college tuition, Rhode Island’s college-promise program saw its community college graduation rate triple and the graduation rate among students of color increase ninefold.

The impact on student debt is more obvious. Tennessee, for instance, saw its applications for student loans decrease by 17% in the first year of its program, with loan amounts decreasing by 12%. At the same time, Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applications soared, with 40% of the entire nation’s increase in applications originating in that state in the first year of their Promise program.

Wage inequality by education, already dreadful before the pandemic, is getting worse. In May, the unemployment rate among workers without a high school diploma was nearly triple the rate of workers with a bachelor’s degree. No matter what Congress does to provide support to those affected by the pandemic and the ensuing recession, employment prospects for far too many people in our workforce will remain bleak after the pandemic recedes. Today, the fastest growing sectors of the economy are in health care, computers and information technology. To have a real shot at a job in those sectors, workers need a college credential of some form such as an industry-recognized skills certificate or an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.

The surest way to make the proven benefits of higher education available to everyone is to make college tuition-free for low and middle-income students at public colleges, and the federal government should help make that happen.

Morley Winograd is president of the Campaign for Free College Tuition . Max Lubin is CEO of Rise , a student-led nonprofit organization advocating for free college.  

The opinions in this commentary are those of the author. Commentaries published on EdSource represent diverse viewpoints about California’s public education systems. If you would like to submit a commentary, please review our  guidelines  and  contact us .

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Genia Curtsinger 2 years ago 2 years ago

Making community college free to those who meet the admission requirements would help many people. First of all, it would make it easy for students and families, for instance; you go to college and have to pay thousands of dollars to get a college education, but if community college is free it would help so you could be saving money and get a college education for free, with no cost at all. It would make … Read More

Making community college free to those who meet the admission requirements would help many people. First of all, it would make it easy for students and families, for instance; you go to college and have to pay thousands of dollars to get a college education, but if community college is free it would help so you could be saving money and get a college education for free, with no cost at all. It would make it more affordable to the student and their families.

Therefore I think people should have free education for those who meet the admission requirements.

nothing 2 years ago 2 years ago

I feel like colleges shouldn’t be completely free, but a lot more affordable for people so everyone can have a chance to have a good college education.

Jaden Wendover 2 years ago 2 years ago

I think all colleges should be free, because why would you pay to learn?

Samantha Cole 2 years ago 2 years ago

I think college should be free because there are a lot of people that want to go to college but they can’t pay for it so they don’t go and end up in jail or working as a waitress or in a convenience store. I know I want to go to college but I can’t because my family doesn’t make enough money to send me to college but my family makes too much for financial aid.

Nick Gurrs 2 years ago 2 years ago

I feel like this subject has a lot of answers, For me personally, I believe tuition and college, in general, should be free because it will help students get out of debt and not have debt, and because it will help people who are struggling in life to get a job and make a living off a job.

NO 2 years ago 2 years ago

I think college tuition should be free. A lot of adults want to go to college and finish their education but can’t partly because they can’t afford to. Some teens need to work at a young age just so they can save money for college which I feel they shouldn’t have to. If people don’t want to go to college then they just can work and go on with their lives.

Not saying my name 3 years ago 3 years ago

I think college tuition should be free because people drop out because they can’t pay the tuition to get into college and then they can’t graduate and live a good life and they won’t get a job because it says they dropped out of school. So it would be harder to get a job and if the tuition wasn’t a thing, people would live an awesome life because of this.

Brisa 3 years ago 3 years ago

I’m not understanding. Are we not agreeing that college should be free, or are we?

m 2 years ago 2 years ago

it shouldnt

Trevor Everhart 3 years ago 3 years ago

What do you mean by there is no such thing as free tuition?

Olga Snichernacs 3 years ago 3 years ago

Nice! I enjoyed reading.

Anonymous Cat 3 years ago 3 years ago

Tuition-Free: Free tuition, or sometimes tuition free is a phrase you have heard probably a good number of times. … Therefore, free tuition to put it simply is the opportunity provide to students by select universities around the world to received a degree from their institution without paying any sum of money for the teaching.

Mister B 3 years ago 3 years ago

There is no such thing as tuition free.

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September 1, 2014

Why Community Colleges Should Be Free

To bolster the nation's high-tech labor pool, some higher education should come without a tuition bill

By The Editors

Tennessee does not immediately come to mind as a progressive force in science and technical education. Even today the legacy of the infamous 1925 Scopes trial persists: a relatively new state law invites teachers to criticize mainstream science, be it evolution or global warming.

Yet the antediluvian “Monkey Bill,” as opponents call the 2012 legislation, has not prevented the state from taking the national spotlight as an educational innovator. In May, Republican governor Bill Haslam signed a bill that will make Tennessee's two-year community colleges and technical schools free to any high school graduate starting in 2015.

Community colleges are pillars of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education. They train technicians for jobs in leading-edge industries and grant associate's degrees that let students finish the last half of their higher education at a four-year institution. While the gap in economic well-being between college graduates and those with only a high school diploma grows ever wider, community colleges serve as gateways for the underrepresented and the working class. Nationwide, 40 percent of community college students are in the first generation of their families to attend college, more than 55 percent of Hispanics in college are enrolled in community colleges, and 40 percent of community college students hold down full-time jobs.

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The National Science Foundation has long recognized the importance of two-year schools as training grounds for high-tech industries such as biotechnology and nanotechnology. It devotes more than $60 million annually to its Advanced Technological Education program, which develops curricula to immerse students, for instance, in the nuances of cell cultures and standard deviations. Graduates of these courses go on to careers in the laboratories of Genentech and the command centers of nuclear power plants. Veterans returning to the workforce receive training for technical careers in the aerospace industry.

The Tennessee law will enable students to attend the state's 13 community colleges and 27 technical schools tuition-free in hopes of raising the number of college graduates in the state from 32 to 55 percent by 2025. (The national average is now 42 percent.) The program will be funded largely by lottery money and will also somewhat reduce scholarships at the state's four-year institutions. If a trade-off has to be made, this one may be worth it to upgrade a workforce judged in one survey to be of low quality. Other states—and the private sector—are watching closely. Oregon has plans to make community college free, and Mississippi may try again after the death of a bill this year. These efforts should be viewed as models for other states to emulate. To succeed, though, the two-year schools will need a lot of help.

Community colleges have long wrestled with the responsibility of having to offer remedial education for entrants who arrive at their doors without a proper grounding in basic skills. The educational deficits are one reason only 32 percent of Tennessee's students finish at state-run community colleges, which is why Haslam's program appoints “mentors” to ease the transition.

To ensure that the newly enrolled reach graduation day, administrators of community colleges must emphasize accelerated remedial programs to get students through the basics and into career-related classes quickly enough to avoid the frustration and despondency that lead to elevated dropout rates.

The two-year colleges should also give serious consideration to new teaching methods that could maximize the time teachers have to interact with their students. Bill Gates, whose foundation has contributed tens of millions to remedy the failings of two-year schools, recommended in a speech last year that community colleges experiment with “flipped classrooms.” Students watch lectures from MOOCs (massive open online courses) at home. In class, instead of getting lectures, they complete homeworklike exercises, with personalized instruction from professors and teaching assistants.

Two-year college students face an obstacle course of personal and academic challenges on the path to a diploma. Many must hold down a job or two while attending courses. The renewed spotlight on community colleges is essential for transforming these vital institutions into gateways to the tech-oriented skills that serve as the foundation for vibrant economies.

Community college ‘free-for-all’: Why making tuition free could be complicated

Subscribe to the brown center on education policy newsletter, dick startz dick startz professor of economics - university of california, santa barbara @profitofed.

November 15, 2019

Presidential candidates are pushing for “free” community college for all; Douglas Harris described some of the early details here on the Chalkboard earlier this year. Greater access to community college is a clearly overdue policy for reasons we also talked about here in July , and it’s worth thinking through some of the details. (As an aside, some candidates propose four years of free college, others that college should be “debt-free.” We’ll leave discussion of those proposals for another day.) Currently, we have no national policy on community college attendance: States have very much gone their own ways. Policy diversity has some definite advantages. But things are so different across states that making community college free nationwide is going to be tough—implementation details are going to require some thought.

Here’s the first issue: Some states have chosen to go all in on community colleges, while other states do very little. Will this be a political problem? Will politicians from states with low community college attendance be reluctant to support subsidizing students in other states? Hopefully not, as states with low community college numbers today are also the states with the greatest likelihood of growing their attendance. What’s more, community college attendance doesn’t follow a simple red state/blue state pattern.

Right now (well, per the latest data from the Digest of Education Statistics in 2017), 22% of community college students are in California—which has 12% of the nation’s population. Another way to say this is that 33% of college-aged folk in California attend community college, as compared to a national average of 20%. Here’s a chart showing that same two-year school enrollment as a fraction of the college-aged population across states.

The other states that look something like California in this regard are pretty small in terms of population. (New Mexico and Wyoming actually have a higher ratio than California.) Texas, though, is a large state that is also well above the national average. Arizona, Iowa, and Virginia are also high. The state that stands out on the low end is Florida.

A complicating wrinkle in thinking about free community college is that the boundaries between community college and four-year schools are sometimes blurred. In some states , some bachelor’s degrees are offered by community colleges . (This may account for the low two-year enrollment reported for Florida.) Does that mean free tuition would not be covered in such schools? Or does it mean that a bachelor’s degree is covered if offered by a community college, but not if the same degree is offered in a “four-year school”? In some states, this is a big issue. In other states, the issue doesn’t arise. But it’s one more complication that will require careful thought and quite likely careful political negotiation.

A second issue is that states charge very, very different tuition levels. Compared to the status quo, very different subsidy levels will be needed across states to achieve zero-tuition nationwide. The national average annual tuition at public two-year colleges is $3,200. California is way below that. Texas is relatively low as well.

Here, too, the breakdown is not especially red versus blue, which probably helps with the politics. Nonetheless, some thought will be required to figure out how to cover tuition both in New Hampshire, where the current price tag is $7,300, and in California, which charges $1,300.

Some of the proposals for free tuition include a requirement for cost-sharing by states. States currently differ significantly in how much they spend per student, raising a third issue. I’ve calculated total expenditures on public two-year colleges and subtracted off tuition. The national annual average is $6,100. (Note: While I’m confident that states vary wildly in what they spend, don’t put too much weight on the numbers for a particular state. Also, the latest data is three years old, though that probably shouldn’t matter much.)

Mississippi spends almost $11,000 above tuition costs, while Virginia spends only $1,500. The situation is made more complicated by the fact that costs of real estate, construction, salaries, etc., vary so much across states. Simple formulas about cost-sharing may be difficult to reconcile with varying levels of existing contributions. (By the way, picking up the cost of tuition will increase total spending on community colleges by about a third, very roughly. Of course, free tuition will increase demand for community college—that’s kind of the idea, after all—which will further raise the required level of funding.)

Looking ahead, some thought should be given to how states will respond strategically to various proposals. For example, Joe Biden’s plan calls for “the federal government covering 75% of the cost and states contributing the remaining obligation.” (Fellow candidates Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, and Amy Klobuchar also call for free community college, while Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren would extend free tuition to four-year public colleges as well.) Right now, California is a low-tuition, high-expenditure, high-participation state. Should California raise its $1,300 tuition to the $7,300 in Vermont— thus increasing tuition revenue—and then contribute a fourth of that ($1,825) to keep tuition free while the federal government contribute three-fourths ($5,475)? Students won’t care, since one government or another is picking up the tab. The extra revenue from Washington, D.C., would free up a lot of money that California is now using to subsidize its very large community college system.

The admirable goal of a federal program is to make community college available to Americans wherever they live. If that happens, we are likely to see community college within reach of a much greater number of students across the country. That will itself diminish the differences that exist today, but not on day one. Figuring out the details is going to require some good technocrats. And on the political side, there should be considerable appeal across both red and blue states. Perhaps this might be a good venue for bipartisan cooperation.

None of this is an argument against the federal government finding a way to make community college tuition-free. It is an argument that figuring out the details will take some work.

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The Argument for Tuition-Free College

Soaring tuitions and student loan debt are placing higher education beyond the reach of many American students. It’s time to make college free and accessible to all.

by Keith Ellison

April 14, 2016

(Shutterstock)

In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Land Grant College Act into law, laying the groundwork for the largest system of publicly funded universities in the world. Some of America's greatest colleges, including the University of Minnesota, were created by federal land grants, and were known as "democracy's colleges" or "people's colleges."

But that vision of a "people's college" seems awfully remote to a growing number of American students crushed under soaring tuitions and mounting debt. One hundred and fifty years after Lincoln made his pledge, it's time to make public colleges and universities free for every American.

This idea is easier than it looks. For most of our nation's history, public colleges and universities have been much more affordable than they are today, with lower tuition, and financial aid that covered a much larger portion of the costs . The first step in making college accessible again, and returning to an education system that serves every American, is addressing the student loan debt crisis.

The cost of attending a four-year college has increased by 1,122 percent since 1978 . Galloping tuition hikes have made attending college more expensive today than at any point in U.S. history. At the same time, debt from student loans has become the largest form of personal debt in America-bigger than credit card debt and auto loans. Last year, 38 million American students owed more than $1.3 trillion in student loans.

Once, a degree used to mean a brighter future for college graduates, access to the middle class, and economic stability.

Today, student loan debt increases inequality and makes it harder for low-income graduates, particularly those of color , to buy a house, open a business, and start a family.

The solution lies in federal investments to states to lower the overall cost of public colleges and universities. In exchange, states would commit to reinvesting state funds in higher education. Any public college or university that benefited from the reinvestment program would be required to limit tuition increases. This federal-state partnership would help lower tuition for all students. Schools that lowered tuition would receive additional federal grants based on the degree to which costs are lowered.

Reinvesting in higher education programs like Pell Grants and work-study would ensure that Pell and other forms of financial aid that students don't need to pay back would cover a greater portion of tuition costs for low-income students. In addition, states that participate in this partnership would ensure that low-income students who attend state colleges and universities could afford non-tuition expenses like textbooks and housing fees . This proposal is one way to ensure that no student graduates with loans to pay back.

If the nation can provide hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies to the oil and gas industry and billions of dollars more to Wall Street , we can afford to pay for public higher education. A tax on financial transactions like derivatives and stock trades would cover the cost. Building a truly affordable higher education system is an investment that would pay off economically.

Eliminating student loan debt is the first step, but it's not the last. Once we ensure that student loan debt isn't a barrier to going to college, we should reframe how we think about higher education. College shouldn't just be debt free-it should be free. Period.

We all help pay for our local high schools and kindergartens, whether or not we send our kids to them. And all parents have the option of choosing public schools, even if they can afford private institutions. Free primary and secondary schooling is good for our economy, strengthens our democracy, and most importantly, is critical for our children's health and future. Educating our kids is one of our community's most important responsibilities, and it's a right that every one of us enjoys. So why not extend public schooling to higher education as well?

Some might object that average Americans should not have to pay for students from wealthy families to go to school. But certain things should be guaranteed to all Americans, poor or rich. It's not a coincidence that some of the most important social programs in our government's history have applied to all citizens, and not just to those struggling to make ends meet.

Universal programs are usually stronger and more stable over the long term, and they're less frequently targeted by budget cuts and partisan attacks. Public schools have stood the test of time-let's make sure public colleges and universities do, too.

The United States has long been committed to educating all its people, not only its elites.

This country is also the wealthiest in the history of the world. We can afford to make college an option for every American family.

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Community Colleges Should Be Free, Essay Example

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Ross MacDonald’s essay “Why Community Colleges Should be Free” (2014) argues that the benefits of community colleges on local economies, work-forces, and individual well-being are numerous enough to warrant the offering of free two-year educations to students. MacDonald’s references a recent law in Tennessee which “will make Tennessee’s two-year community colleges and technical schools free to any high school graduate starting in 2015” (MacDonald, para.2). The essay starts with the proposition that providing a free two-year education to all students is a progressive and cost-effective measure. Mac Donald goes on to support this central thesis by citing four or five key virtues that can be expected to result from the offering of free community colleges. This perspective is corroborated by a recent statistical study conducted by Kevin Pennington, Robert Pittman and Casey Hurley which suggests that even such a disparate area of social development as agriculture is noticeably strengthened through the presence of community colleges. I agree with both the Mac Donald article and the conclusion of the statistical survey. Furthermore, I believe that an objective examination of the facts indicates that a free two year education should be the default policy in every state.

MacDonald mentions that the initial benefits of community colleges emerge from the fact that these schools cater to STEM disciplines. He notes that “Community colleges are pillars of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education. They train technicians for jobs in leading-edge industries and grant associate’s degrees that let students finish the last half of their higher education at a four-year institution.” (MacDonald, para. 3) Obviously, one direct benefit from this system is that students are receiving an education in areas that are practically geared toward future jobs and careers. This is a crucial point because communities and states are in need of STEM-based workers and experts. Therefore the resulting employment of STEM trained students would generate ongoing benefits for communities that exceed the cost of the free two-year programs.

A further benefit that is closely connected to the spread of STEM-based education is the idea of social mobility. In regard to community colleges a greater number of first-generation college students and minority students are encouraged through the spread of community colleges. MacDonald cites the fact that “community colleges serve as gateways for the underrepresented and the working class” (MacDonald, para. 3). The increase in social mobility as well as the spike in worker-knowledge and abilities further strengthens communities and states. The offering off free community college is an investment in the community itself and in the people who make the community run.

MacDonald does mention that certain serious challenges face the implementation of a free community college policy in Tennessee or any state. One of the big challenges is that many students who arrive at community college fail to possess sufficient skills in reading and writing and comprehension to adequately pursue the two-year curriculum. These students require remedial education which places a further economic burden on the community. Associated with the need for remedial education is the danger of high drop-out rates. Simply because a free education is offered does not mean that every aspiring student will be prepared to attend. Therefore, according to MacDonald, a great effort must be made by community colleges to ensure that their remedial programs are as efficient and as widely available as possible.

One final point made by MacDonald is that new educational techniques can find a place for exploration in the expanded community colleges. Techniques such as integrating online/off campus classes with in-class assignments would enable a more dynamic approach to learning, one that would facilitate a more practical use of in-class time. This approach is known as “flipped classrooms.” Basically a flipped classroom is one where what is traditionally known as “homework” is in fact carried out in the classroom, whereas lectures are presented off campus in an online setting. These innovations can be used at the community college level where they are likely to be most needed and most effective. Two year colleges can stand at the forefront of experimental policies and systems like flipped classrooms because they offer a robust and fast-moving student body by which to gauge their effectiveness. The nature of two-year colleges also makes it easier to implement needed improvements to programs in a timely fashion.

A community that offers free community college education is one that is more likely to stimulate job growth, economic opportunity and innovation. These are the primary pragmatic results of the policy according to MacDonald. However, MacDonald’s essay also strongly implies that further benefits, some less readily pinpointed, are also part of the discussion. These benefits include a higher degree of civic pride, individual happiness, and a sense of growth and opportunity. There is also an implied sense of community acceptance in that education is no longer rooted in class-identity and economic power. Overall, MacDonald’s article offers several indisputable points that bolster the idea that fee two-year education programs should become more widespread, if not universally adopted, in America. One might convincingly argue that MacDonald’s presentation of the debate is one-sided. There is little if any space in the article devoted to the opposing view. Despite this legitimate criticism, the essay is founded on solid facts and is articulated in a logical and convincing way.

Further evidence that community colleges represent an important part of a community’s well-being is the previously mentioned study by Pennington, Pittman and Hurley that approaches the issue through pure statistics. While some of the authors’ findings contradict the assumptions given by MacDonald, one key discovery in the statistical analysis adds a powerful potential benefit to the offering of free community college education. This finding is that co0mmunity colleges, especially those that are well-attended, increase the agricultural value of the community in which they are active. The authors note that “In looking at the total picture, it seems safest to conclude that the mere presence of the community college has not taken struggling economies and transformed them into booming ones” (Pennington, Pittman, and Hurley) . That said, the authors go on to state that the presence of community colleges increase the agricultural efficacy of a given community by as much as 11%.

This is a significant number. More importantly, it is a number that is derived from the mere presence of community colleges in a given region. It is not a statistical study of how free two-year education would impact the agricultural value of a community. Obviously, if an increase of 11% can be scientifically proven in regard to the simple existence of community education, then free two year education should cause this number to go even higher. Since the agricultural value of a given community (or a nation) is one of its most important attributes, this increase in value, taken across the entire nation, would raise the GNP to levels that might even be able to compete with government spending. If such a proposition sounds like wishful thinking, the idea that a raise in the national GNP would result from an increase in national education is completely supported by Pennington, Pittman and Hurley. Statistics are objective facts. Alone, they do not represent any particular political or social ideal. For this reason, I find the study to be a powerful argument on behalf of the idea of free community college.

Whether or not an individual believes that college education is desirable or necessary, it seems increasingly difficult to substantiate the view that only those who can afford to do so should have access to higher education. The “pay to play” policies that are default in the United States only encourage class division and stagnation in social mobility. Personally, I feel that this state of affairs is one that has been created by design by those who enjoy economic superiority in our society. The restriction of higher education for only those who can afford it is simply a way of enforcing social castes that enable of social strata (the “one-percent”) to exploit and control workers. Education is generally acknowledged as being the best way to inject social and class mobility into any society. Class divisions are often also based on racial and ethnic discrimination. Both economic disparity and racism are unhealthy for society as a whole.

Due to these considerations, it appears obvious that the offering of free two-year college educations to all students is not only a sound idea, but a necessary one. In order to strengthen America’s working-class, heal racial divides, and reinvigorate the infrastructures and workforces of our nation, free community college must become the law of the land. As the statistical survey indicated the proliferation of community colleges will not solve all of America’s economic problems immediately, nor will such a policy turn a bad economy instantly good. Rather, the implementation of free community colleges would start a long-term process that would eventually culminate a stronger and more just society for every American citizen. When this reality is coupled with the conclusion that America’s overall GNP would irrefutably rise through the implementation of the free community education policy, those who stand against such a policy-shift in America may find it very difficult to bolster their position without also advocating the furthering of the same widespread impoverishment and class struggle that has brought America to its present state of decay.

Works Cited

MacDonald, Ross. “Why Community Colleges Should Be Free.” Scientific American.com; accessed 9-29-14; http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-community-colleges-should-be-free/

Pennington, Kevin L., Robert B. Pittman, and J. Casey Hurley. “An Assessment of the Community College’s Influence on the Relative Economic Development of a County.” Community College Review 29.1 (2001).

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How to Write the Community Essay – Guide with Examples (2023-24)

September 6, 2023

Students applying to college this year will inevitably confront the community essay. In fact, most students will end up responding to several community essay prompts for different schools. For this reason, you should know more than simply how to approach the community essay as a genre. Rather, you will want to learn how to decipher the nuances of each particular prompt, in order to adapt your response appropriately. In this article, we’ll show you how to do just that, through several community essay examples. These examples will also demonstrate how to avoid cliché and make the community essay authentically and convincingly your own.

Emphasis on Community

Do keep in mind that inherent in the word “community” is the idea of multiple people. The personal statement already provides you with a chance to tell the college admissions committee about yourself as an individual. The community essay, however, suggests that you depict yourself among others. You can use this opportunity to your advantage by showing off interpersonal skills, for example. Or, perhaps you wish to relate a moment that forged important relationships. This in turn will indicate what kind of connections you’ll make in the classroom with college peers and professors.

Apart from comprising numerous people, a community can appear in many shapes and sizes. It could be as small as a volleyball team, or as large as a diaspora. It could fill a town soup kitchen, or spread across five boroughs. In fact, due to the internet, certain communities today don’t even require a physical place to congregate. Communities can form around a shared identity, shared place, shared hobby, shared ideology, or shared call to action. They can even arise due to a shared yet unforeseen circumstance.

What is the Community Essay All About?             

In a nutshell, the community essay should exhibit three things:

• An aspect of yourself, 2. in the context of a community you belonged to, and 3. how this experience may shape your contribution to the community you’ll join in college.

It may look like a fairly simple equation: 1 + 2 = 3. However, each college will word their community essay prompt differently, so it’s important to look out for additional variables. One college may use the community essay as a way to glimpse your core values. Another may use the essay to understand how you would add to diversity on campus. Some may let you decide in which direction to take it—and there are many ways to go!

To get a better idea of how the prompts differ, let’s take a look at some real community essay prompts from the current admission cycle.

Sample 2023-2024 Community Essay Prompts

1) brown university.

“Students entering Brown often find that making their home on College Hill naturally invites reflection on where they came from. Share how an aspect of your growing up has inspired or challenged you, and what unique contributions this might allow you to make to the Brown community. (200-250 words)”

A close reading of this prompt shows that Brown puts particular emphasis on place. They do this by using the words “home,” “College Hill,” and “where they came from.” Thus, Brown invites writers to think about community through the prism of place. They also emphasize the idea of personal growth or change, through the words “inspired or challenged you.” Therefore, Brown wishes to see how the place you grew up in has affected you. And, they want to know how you in turn will affect their college community.

“NYU was founded on the belief that a student’s identity should not dictate the ability for them to access higher education. That sense of opportunity for all students, of all backgrounds, remains a part of who we are today and a critical part of what makes us a world-class university. Our community embraces diversity, in all its forms, as a cornerstone of the NYU experience.

We would like to better understand how your experiences would help us to shape and grow our diverse community. Please respond in 250 words or less.”

Here, NYU places an emphasis on students’ “identity,” “backgrounds,” and “diversity,” rather than any physical place. (For some students, place may be tied up in those ideas.) Furthermore, while NYU doesn’t ask specifically how identity has changed the essay writer, they do ask about your “experience.” Take this to mean that you can still recount a specific moment, or several moments, that work to portray your particular background. You should also try to link your story with NYU’s values of inclusivity and opportunity.

3) University of Washington

“Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW. (300 words max) Tip: Keep in mind that the UW strives to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural backgrounds, experiences, values and viewpoints.”

UW ’s community essay prompt may look the most approachable, for they help define the idea of community. You’ll notice that most of their examples (“families,” “cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood”…) place an emphasis on people. This may clue you in on their desire to see the relationships you’ve made. At the same time, UW uses the words “individual” and “richly diverse.” They, like NYU, wish to see how you fit in and stand out, in order to boost campus diversity.

Writing Your First Community Essay

Begin by picking which community essay you’ll write first. (For practical reasons, you’ll probably want to go with whichever one is due earliest.) Spend time doing a close reading of the prompt, as we’ve done above. Underline key words. Try to interpret exactly what the prompt is asking through these keywords.

Next, brainstorm. I recommend doing this on a blank piece of paper with a pencil. Across the top, make a row of headings. These might be the communities you’re a part of, or the components that make up your identity. Then, jot down descriptive words underneath in each column—whatever comes to you. These words may invoke people and experiences you had with them, feelings, moments of growth, lessons learned, values developed, etc. Now, narrow in on the idea that offers the richest material and that corresponds fully with the prompt.

Lastly, write! You’ll definitely want to describe real moments, in vivid detail. This will keep your essay original, and help you avoid cliché. However, you’ll need to summarize the experience and answer the prompt succinctly, so don’t stray too far into storytelling mode.

How To Adapt Your Community Essay

Once your first essay is complete, you’ll need to adapt it to the other colleges involving community essays on your list. Again, you’ll want to turn to the prompt for a close reading, and recognize what makes this prompt different from the last. For example, let’s say you’ve written your essay for UW about belonging to your swim team, and how the sports dynamics shaped you. Adapting that essay to Brown’s prompt could involve more of a focus on place. You may ask yourself, how was my swim team in Alaska different than the swim teams we competed against in other states?

Once you’ve adapted the content, you’ll also want to adapt the wording to mimic the prompt. For example, let’s say your UW essay states, “Thinking back to my years in the pool…” As you adapt this essay to Brown’s prompt, you may notice that Brown uses the word “reflection.” Therefore, you might change this sentence to “Reflecting back on my years in the pool…” While this change is minute, it cleverly signals to the reader that you’ve paid attention to the prompt, and are giving that school your full attention.

What to Avoid When Writing the Community Essay  

• Avoid cliché. Some students worry that their idea is cliché, or worse, that their background or identity is cliché. However, what makes an essay cliché is not the content, but the way the content is conveyed. This is where your voice and your descriptions become essential.
• Avoid giving too many examples. Stick to one community, and one or two anecdotes arising from that community that allow you to answer the prompt fully.
• Don’t exaggerate or twist facts. Sometimes students feel they must make themselves sound more “diverse” than they feel they are. Luckily, diversity is not a feeling. Likewise, diversity does not simply refer to one’s heritage. If the prompt is asking about your identity or background, you can show the originality of your experiences through your actions and your thinking.

Community Essay Examples and Analysis

Brown university community essay example.

I used to hate the NYC subway. I’ve taken it since I was six, going up and down Manhattan, to and from school. By high school, it was a daily nightmare. Spending so much time underground, underneath fluorescent lighting, squashed inside a rickety, rocking train car among strangers, some of whom wanted to talk about conspiracy theories, others who had bedbugs or B.O., or who manspread across two seats, or bickered—it wore me out. The challenge of going anywhere seemed absurd. I dreaded the claustrophobia and disgruntlement.

Yet the subway also inspired my understanding of community. I will never forget the morning I saw a man, several seats away, slide out of his seat and hit the floor. The thump shocked everyone to attention. What we noticed: he appeared drunk, possibly homeless. I was digesting this when a second man got up and, through a sort of awkward embrace, heaved the first man back into his seat. The rest of us had stuck to subway social codes: don’t step out of line. Yet this second man’s silent actions spoke loudly. They said, “I care.”

That day I realized I belong to a group of strangers. What holds us together is our transience, our vulnerabilities, and a willingness to assist. This community is not perfect but one in motion, a perpetual work-in-progress. Now I make it my aim to hold others up. I plan to contribute to the Brown community by helping fellow students and strangers in moments of precariousness.    

Brown University Community Essay Example Analysis

Here the student finds an original way to write about where they come from. The subway is not their home, yet it remains integral to ideas of belonging. The student shows how a community can be built between strangers, in their responsibility toward each other. The student succeeds at incorporating key words from the prompt (“challenge,” “inspired” “Brown community,” “contribute”) into their community essay.

UW Community Essay Example

I grew up in Hawaii, a world bound by water and rich in diversity. In school we learned that this sacred land was invaded, first by Captain Cook, then by missionaries, whalers, traders, plantation owners, and the U.S. government. My parents became part of this problematic takeover when they moved here in the 90s. The first community we knew was our church congregation. At the beginning of mass, we shook hands with our neighbors. We held hands again when we sang the Lord’s Prayer. I didn’t realize our church wasn’t “normal” until our diocese was informed that we had to stop dancing hula and singing Hawaiian hymns. The order came from the Pope himself.

Eventually, I lost faith in God and organized institutions. I thought the banning of hula—an ancient and pure form of expression—seemed medieval, ignorant, and unfair, given that the Hawaiian religion had already been stamped out. I felt a lack of community and a distrust for any place in which I might find one. As a postcolonial inhabitant, I could never belong to the Hawaiian culture, no matter how much I valued it. Then, I was shocked to learn that Queen Ka’ahumanu herself had eliminated the Kapu system, a strict code of conduct in which women were inferior to men. Next went the Hawaiian religion. Queen Ka’ahumanu burned all the temples before turning to Christianity, hoping this religion would offer better opportunities for her people.

Community Essay (Continued)

I’m not sure what to make of this history. Should I view Queen Ka’ahumanu as a feminist hero, or another failure in her islands’ tragedy? Nothing is black and white about her story, but she did what she thought was beneficial to her people, regardless of tradition. From her story, I’ve learned to accept complexity. I can disagree with institutionalized religion while still believing in my neighbors. I am a product of this place and their presence. At UW, I plan to add to campus diversity through my experience, knowing that diversity comes with contradictions and complications, all of which should be approached with an open and informed mind.

UW Community Essay Example Analysis

This student also manages to weave in words from the prompt (“family,” “community,” “world,” “product of it,” “add to the diversity,” etc.). Moreover, the student picks one of the examples of community mentioned in the prompt, (namely, a religious group,) and deepens their answer by addressing the complexity inherent in the community they’ve been involved in. While the student displays an inner turmoil about their identity and participation, they find a way to show how they’d contribute to an open-minded campus through their values and intellectual rigor.

What’s Next

For more on supplemental essays and essay writing guides, check out the following articles:

• How to Write the Why This Major Essay + Example
• How to Write the Overcoming Challenges Essay + Example
• How to Start a College Essay – 12 Techniques and Tips
• College Essay

Kaylen Baker

With a BA in Literary Studies from Middlebury College, an MFA in Fiction from Columbia University, and a Master’s in Translation from Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis, Kaylen has been working with students on their writing for over five years. Previously, Kaylen taught a fiction course for high school students as part of Columbia Artists/Teachers, and served as an English Language Assistant for the French National Department of Education. Kaylen is an experienced writer/translator whose work has been featured in Los Angeles Review, Hybrid, San Francisco Bay Guardian, France Today, and Honolulu Weekly, among others.

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Should Community College Be Free Essay

Community college which is usually paid off by the government through grant and fee waivers for for low-income students is a way of continuing your growth after high school, although these institutions aren’t the very best type of education you can get it is a start. The type of students that usually go to community colleges are either low income and can't afford to pay for any other schools(without help from financial aid) or people who simply didn’t get the best grades in high school but still chose to continue their path of education. In the article “As He Promotes It, Some Question Obama’s Free Community College Idea.” Joanne Jacobs explains to us some of the pros and cons about having free community college. With the cons weighing out the pros, in my opinion, community college should not be free because it would take away the significance of going to college. I highly doubt that college students would want to slack off in classes that they are paying for. It works sort of as like an incentive since money isn't easily earned, so by allowing students to attend college for free would make community college more of a continuation of high school. Costs are what usually stop students from applying or even considering going to a UC or CSU, especially for middle class students. Since technically they are able to pay for it the government doesn’t help them out as much as they wish they could. Tuition for universities is very high, but it is a “you get what you paid for” type

Article Summary: Should Community Colleges Be Free

The second reason why community colleges should not give out free tuition is because this could actually lower the rates of students becoming successful. According to Andrew P. Kelly from the article “Should Community College be Free”, he said in an interview that “Free community college could actually lower rates of student success; the literature suggests that is less selective than they are academically qualified to attend reduces students’ chances of graduating” (Kelly) (2). Furthermore, this article also shows student’s performances are weaker in free colleges than normal colleges. This means that by giving out free tuition to students will also make them more laid back and not focus on studying as much as they should be. This is a little

Free Community College Should Be Free

Although I believe the first two years of community college should be free to all; many people would disagree. One of the biggest controversies surrounding the issue of free community college is the enormous cost it comes with and how it will be funded. According to Emily Deruy, the author of the article The Debate over Free Community College, “The chances of community colleges nationwide becoming free are slim. The White House has said it would cost the federal

Argumentative Essay: Should Community College Be Free?

Over the past few years, President Barack Obama has proposed to make to the first two years of Community College free. Many school and state officials have touched upon this issue. Some officials completely agree with President Obama saying that more students would enroll to community colleges which would increase their chances of obtaining a bachelor’s degree. I, with many others, disagree with this idea. Making Community College free would mean more tax dollars, and making getting an education harder.

Argumentative Essay: Should Community College Be Paid?

Community college is seen as a cheaper way of furthering education, but when prices are hiked up, students develop a harder time trying to pay for it. Some students partake in the luxury of not having to worry about paying for their schooling, or their supplies and books; however, what about those who suffer and pay for it all out of pocket. Community college should be free for the first two years for those students who want to achieve respectable grades, and work for it. If college is so important for a better future and better jobs, why does it cost so much. Community college needs to be free for hard working students willing to put in an effort towards what they want.

President Obama 's State Of The Union Address

Many critiques against community college being tuition free state that our economy will improve. This is being proven by Wyner who states that it is necessary to close the percentage gap of jobs that will require a college education. Yes, it is true that a college education will be required for 60% of jobs, it doesn’t mean that community college should be free. If anything, making college free, will affect the economy . The White House stated that the cost of implementing a tuition free community college program will be over sixty billion dollars over ten years. The money will come from taxpayer dollars.

Free Community College Analysis

College has always been a part of my life plan. From the time I was a little girl, I dreamed about what it would be like to walk across that stage with a degree in my hand. Sadly, this isn't the case for some. To many potential students, the idea of going to school is one that they dream about, but never take the steps to achieve and the reason boils down to one simple thing-- cost. While community college isn't the most expensive option out there, it can still get extremely pricey, I know from experience. This seems like it's a personal problem, but in fact, it should be a state problem. Free community college in California will not only be a great benefit to potential students, but to the state economy and government, as well as the local

Benefits Of Community College

All community college shouldn't be free because is going to affect everyone. Some may think that community colleges should be free because low income students don’t have money to cover for it. Jacobs says “it could create an environment where states step up on founding.” she said” It's not easy to convince people to found the schools but as I said community colleges are going to get pack and not everyone is going to have the opportunity to earn their associate's degree or transfer. A community college should help the community by providing the right classes for the students

Informative Essay On Free Community College

For example, students might not try as hard as if they were paying for it. Dropout from community colleges might increase. Community college diploma will not be approvable to big companies. Another point, community colleges are already affordable to everyone, there is no need to make them free. Let us not forget that the nation debt still on the rise.

Free Community College Essay

The economy does not have free community college. They have made it about increasing the level of debt. Many people have introduced free community college. This would affect a lot of people on our economy. This would also decrease personal freedoms for a lot of the public, reduce quality, and send the wrong message to students.

Argumentative Essay: Should Community Colleges Be Free?

From the article, “Democratic Contenders Aim At Wall Street “by Bob Davis, Davis takes a survey of why former students disagree with having free community college. One of the former students that Davis surveyed said “In college I was invested, I was paying… “Once it entails a cost, it’s not easy to just say, ‘Oh, let’s not go to class today.’ You’re just hurting yourself”, signifying that ditching class is only hurting the student’s education (Davis). If students were to pay for education independently, it would give them motivation to do better in their classes; this way, they will place more value their

Pros And Cons Of Community College

If community college becomes free, then you will most likely want to attend a community college not just because it is free, but because its environment or background is much better than a four-year college or university. At a community college, you can sign up for even night classes if you are unable to take them in the morning or afternoon. There is also smaller classroom sizes, which will be easier to make new friends. At a university, classroom sizes are sometimes twenty or more students. Plus, community college provides students an opportunity to explore more major options or programs. Also, there are a lot of organizations and clubs to join, so you will not be bored! (The Pros and Cons of Community College). In the state of Tennessee, Obama “is putting Tennessee’s free college plan on a national stage.” A study showed that almost ninety percent of about sixty-five thousand Tennessee’s high school seniors signed up for this program or community college. Including senior students that decided at first they were not going to attend college after high school. Though it is obvious that not all of those applicants are expected to be enrolled in a community college. Mike Krause, a president of a Tennessee community college says that twelve to sixteen thousand students are expected to attend community college (Kelderman). So you as a student will get a lot out of community college because of an expected smaller classroom (which leads to the instructor being able to answer most questions), more organizations and clubs to join, and it is cheap. So compare that to a four-year college or university. As a student, you probably will not get such a fantastic and excellent environment like a community college rather than a university. This proposal that could possibly help make community college free will persuade tons of students to attend one not only because it could become free, but also because of

Argumentative Essay: Why Are Community Colleges Free?

First, I always wondered why community colleges are not free for students. Then after researching for my sex offenders’ case law class, I came across this fact. Most states have laws regarding maximum ages gap to which education must be offered free of charge. The report says 20 states are 19-years-old (including New Jersey), 29 states are 21-years-old, and Texas the age for free schooling is 26-years-old. So in place the No Child Left Behind Act and now the newly signed Elementary and Secondary Education Act will better students college, but yet college is not free? Even the U.S. Department of Education’s website says on the bottom of the page, “Our mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering

The Benefits Of Free Community College

The cost of college continues to rise excluding many students with the knowledge and ability to succeed at higher level education. The idea of free community college would benefit so many students who are not able to land big time scholarships or pay out of pocket for a college education.

Argumentative Essay On Free Community Colleges

One obvious answer would be cost especially the cost of tuition” (Cottom). If the cost of college is so binding, then why wouldn’t it be free? If community college was free then anyone could go to college without the setback of cost. But this viewpoint isn’t and held by everyone: quite a few people disagree and think free college is the wrong way to go and an overall waste of time such as Andrew P. Kelly, he claims that “First, thanks to federal aid, most low and middle-income students already pay no net tuition to attend community college, yet student outcomes at two-year colleges are poor. Second, free community college could lead students to “undermatch,” which would lower their odds of completing a degree.

The Importance Of Free Community College

In the beginning of 2015, Obama gave his annual State of the Union address. Within the address, he discussed that he would like to see free community college for students. This means that all students wouldn’t have to pay for tuition for two years as long as they followed some guidelines, maintaining 2.5 grade point average and being at least a part time student. President Obama has proposed this because he said, “this plan is your chance to graduate ready for the economy, without a load of debt” (qtd. in Mason). Although the thought of free community college for students is awesome, it will have too many negative aspects that outweigh the good.

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• Higher education
• High school
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The Effect of Tuition-Free Community College

• Bureau of Economics

A popular proposal to address the rising cost of higher education in the United States has been to provide tuition-free access to community colleges. This paper examines the effect of such a policy on college access, consumer welfare, and student outcomes accounting for equilibrium responses from for-profit and four-year competitors. I find that free community college increases enrollment by 26 percent, welfare for all students, and degree completions by 20 percent. I compare these findings to more fiscally practical implementations of free community college. Programs that only cover tuition after accounting for other sources of grants increase enrollment by 10 percent and degree completions by 10 percent, but provide no benefit to low-incomes students. Need-based programs that make community college free for low-income students increase enrollment by 12 percent and are beneficial to low-income students, but harm middle- and high- income students and only increase degree completions by 4 percent.

File The Effect of Tuition-Free Community College (593.83 KB)

College - Essay Examples And Topic Ideas For Free

A college is an institution that provides higher education and training in a specific field of study. Essays on college can discuss the value of a college education, the experience of college life, the financial challenges students face, and the debate over traditional versus online education. Other focal points might include the impact of college education on career opportunities, and the evolution of college education over the years. We’ve gathered an extensive assortment of free essay samples on the topic of College you can find at PapersOwl Website. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

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Should College Education Be Free: Persuasive Paper

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Austin community college is trialing free tuition. will others follow.

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Auston community college students in front of an ACC sign

Starting this fall, Austin Community College in Texas will be tuition free for high school graduates enrolling at the school. This pilot program will pay the $87 per credit hour for all 2024 high school graduates for three years. The college has committed funds to pay tuition for the next five years of entering classes.

Promise programs, give students a guarantee that if they are admitted to a college their tuition and fees will be paid for regardless of their financial need. Promise programs are one approach to free college that have proliferated over the past decade. According to College Promise, an organization that advocates for promise programs, there are now over 400 active promise programs , ranging from those at individual colleges like ACC to statewide programs, like California’s Community College promise.

The number of state and local promise programs has continued to grow, even as hopes for a national partnership between states and the federal government have dimmed .

Russell Lowery-Hart, who took over as Chancellor of the ACC district six months ago, proposed the new promise program to ACC’s board of trustees in January, and finally gained approval for the plan at the beginning of April. ACC is funding the pilot out of its existing budget, but plans to seek community partnerships to continue funding the program if it proves successful.

Answering questions by email, Hart, when asked why ACC took this approach said “College is expensive. It’s one of the biggest challenges students face. When we were looking at regional data, it showed approximately 12,000 seniors in Central Texas didn't attend any type of higher education in Texas after graduating high school last year. They made a choice between going somewhere or going nowhere at all, and nowhere won.”

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Google makes a new sale offer to pixel 8 buyers, biden could be 1st president since carter to not negotiate sign fta, what are promise programs.

Promise programs nationwide range from state-level programs like New Mexico’s excellent program to local place-based programs like Kalamazoo Promise . State and local promise programs have continued to gain popularity even as attempts by the Biden administration to create a federal free college program have failed to gain traction. Free community college was part of the President’s agenda that was eventually cut from the Build Back Better legislation.

Promise programs vary significantly in design and eligibility criteria. The New Mexico and Kalamazoo programs are what are known as first-dollar programs. Students who qualify for promise program support to pay their tuition and fees can use any other financial aid, such as federal Pell Grants, on top of promise funds and can use excess money to pay for books, housing, and other living expenses. This is in contrast to last-dollar programs, like New York’s Excelsior Scholarship , that only helps students if their other financial aid fails to cover their tuition and fees.

Last dollar promise programs are much more common, because they are less expensive to run.

What Makes Austin Community College’s Promise Program Stand Out?

The ACC program is going to be first dollar, so students who benefit from it will not see their support reduced even if they receive federal or state grants to help pay for college. Books, supplies and living costs are not covered by the promise, so this leaves students with more of their financial aid to pay for essential expenses.

First dollar promise programs are generally considered the gold standard, since they provide students with the most support. Last-dollar programs have also been critiqued because they tend to provide more support to students who do not receive need based financial aid like the federal Pell Grant. Hart noted that the goal was not just to increase enrollment, but also to ensure students basic needs were being met.

“We wanted to see if we could afford the first-dollar program because it helps your most vulnerable students.”

Texas has a relatively new funding formula for community colleges that rewards colleges with additional funding if they enroll, retain and graduate more students. Part of ACC’s goal for the pilot is to show that student success is promoted by making it cheaper, and thus easier to enroll in college. The pilot program is expected to cost $18 million per year once it is fully implemented.

How Do Promise Programs Help Students Succeed?

Why offer students free tuition? A large number of college students struggle with providing for their basic needs, so every dollar they do not need to spend on tuition can go towards other expenses. Last year, in a nationally representative survey, the National Center for Education Statistics found that 23% of students enrolled at community colleges faced food insecurity.

Hart said ACC really wanted to ensure that the cost of college was not a barrier for students seeking economic security. “One of the reasons we looked into this pilot program was to increase completion and enrollment. We hope that by eliminating the cost of tuition and removing this big barrier, more of our high school grads will make college their next step after high school and then be able to afford to stay in school and complete a degree or certificate and help them find a career that can give them a family-sustaining wage.

There is evidence showing that promise programs help increase enrollment in college . They also make it easier for students to consider paying for college because the messaging is simple “if you get in, then tuition is covered”.

ACC has two more phases of their promise program that the college hopes to implement in future years. Phase two would allow student’s parents of guardians to enroll for free. Phase three would expand the program to all acc students, so that even out of district students could benefit from the program.

Hart hopes that the program will help students succeed without having to borrow as much. “Now, instead of paying off a student loan, students can buy a house, a car, and contribute to the economy.”

Hopefully other Texas community colleges follow the example that being set by ACC.

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