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  • Written by Elizabeth Bell, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Miami University
What Americans think about who deserves tuition-free college

Tuition-free college has gotten a lot of momentum of late.

Front-runners in the Democratic presidential field – including Bernie Sanders[1], Elizabeth Warren[2] and Joe Biden[3] – have all come out in support of federally funded tuition-free college.

And it isn’t just Democrats. Nineteen states[4] have passed tuition-free college policies, including Republican strongholds Tennessee, Arkansas and Kentucky. So have nearly 300 cities or counties[5].

But there is still[6] debate[7] about who should be eligible[8]. Should there be an income cap, for instance, so that only poor or middle-income families are eligible? Should there be a minimum high school GPA requirement?

In my recently published survey[9], I found that Americans view tuition-free college more positively when it’s open to everyone – compared to when it is reserved for families who make US$50,000 or less. I also found that the public is more likely to support tuition-free college when it includes a 2.0 minimum high school GPA requirement, or basically a C average.

How the public views tuition-free college matters because colleges are widely seen as engines of upward economic mobility[10]. Yet, college remains out of reach[11] for many American families[12], especially for[13] people of color[14] and the working class[15].

Policymakers and scholars often differ on the best way to design tuition-free college. Some argue that fairness[16] is the most important consideration. Others stress the need for government to be able pay for the program[17].

I believe that my research, along with other recent polling[18], is the first to dig into what the American voters actually think about different versions of tuition-free college. And my project, in particular, is the first to speculate as to why.

In my study, I surveyed a nationally representative sample of 2,500 Americans in 2017 regarding tuition-free college. Overall, the majority of Republicans (65%) and Democrats/independents (74%) support the idea of tuition-free college. But when asked to consider different versions of tuition-free college, people’s views start to shift.

For instance, when a family income limit is included, respondents were 3.3 percentage points less likely to view the policy as fair, compared to tuition-free college that is open to all students regardless of family income. However, if a 2.0 minimum high school GPA is required to be eligible for tuition-free college, respondents were 6.5 percentage points more likely to view the policy as fair, when compared to tuition-free college that is open to all students regardless of high school GPA.

So why are there these differences in the level of support? I argue that people are evaluating the target population. Research shows that policymakers and the public are more likely to support[19] benefits to groups that are powerful and considered deserving.

Making tuition-free college available to everyone may be more politically beneficial[20] to politicians catering to middle-class and high-income voters – two groups that are more likely to vote[21]. But when tuition-free college is made available for everyone, it is harder to pay for[22] and less efficient[23] because when tuition-free college is universal, it gives money to families that could have afforded college anyway. For instance, in Oregon, more than 60%[24] of the $10.9 million in 2016 for the Oregon Promise – the state’s free community college program – went to students in the highest two income brackets, while students in the lowest two income brackets only used about 17% of the funds. The middle income bracket used about 23% of the funds.

Merit-based policies may be more popular because students who make at least a C average in high school are seen as as more deserving. However, by supporting a C average minimum threshold, these policies also shut out many students who need help the most[25].

The critical challenge for policymakers, as I see it, is: How do you design a tuition-free college plan that is perceived as fair, that helps those who need it most and that government can actually afford?

[Expertise in your inbox. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter and get a digest of academic takes on today’s news, every day.[26]]

References

  1. ^ Bernie Sanders (berniesanders.com)
  2. ^ Elizabeth Warren (elizabethwarren.com)
  3. ^ Joe Biden (joebiden.com)
  4. ^ Nineteen states (tcf.org)
  5. ^ nearly 300 cities or counties (doi.org)
  6. ^ still (www.educationdive.com)
  7. ^ debate (edtrust.org)
  8. ^ who should be eligible (tcf.org)
  9. ^ recently published survey (doi.org)
  10. ^ engines of upward economic mobility (www.equality-of-opportunity.org)
  11. ^ remains out of reach (pellinstitute.org)
  12. ^ for many American families (www.usnews.com)
  13. ^ especially for (www.educationdive.com)
  14. ^ people of color (www.americanprogress.org)
  15. ^ the working class (www.aacu.org)
  16. ^ fairness (edtrust.org)
  17. ^ pay for the program (tcf.org)
  18. ^ other recent polling (www.freecollegenow.org)
  19. ^ more likely to support (doi.org)
  20. ^ more politically beneficial (tcf.org)
  21. ^ more likely to vote (www.politico.com)
  22. ^ harder to pay for (onlinelibrary.wiley.com)
  23. ^ less efficient (www.oregon.gov)
  24. ^ more than 60% (www.oregon.gov)
  25. ^ shut out many students who need help the most (www.brookings.edu)
  26. ^ Expertise in your inbox. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter and get a digest of academic takes on today’s news, every day. (theconversation.com)

Authors: Elizabeth Bell, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Miami University

Read more https://theconversation.com/what-americans-think-about-who-deserves-tuition-free-college-129962

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