Reports: Free College Programs Don’t Benefit Low-Income Students
“Tuition-free college programs enjoy wide public and political support, and their popularity is growing. But two new reports released today indicate that some programs do not guarantee the no-cost education promised to low-income students. One report, from the Institute of Higher Education Policy, examines tuition-free programs in New York and Tennessee. Both programs have been widely heralded for attempting to make college more affordable, and Tennessee’s program was the basis for the Obama administration’s America’s College Promise initiative. But as last-dollar programs — which only cover remaining tuition after other forms of federal and state aid have been used — they often don’t cover the needs of the poorest students, who don’t have to pay tuition and fees but have housing, transportation, textbook and other college costs.”