What Happened When England Offered ‘Free’ College

[rangerrebew]

What Happened When England Offered ‘Free’ College

Mary Clare Amselem / @MCAmselem / October 05, 2017 / comments

In England, "free college" policies resulted in the wealthiest students receiving a disproportionate share of government 

Proponents of “free college” would have you believe that getting rid of tuition fees is all it takes to create a high-quality, equitable, and accessible higher education system.

But a recent study indicates that in England, removing tuition fees from students achieved the exact opposite result. “Free” college in fact created a system where the wealthy benefited, and the poor were left behind.

http://dailysignal.com/2017/10/05/happened-england-offered-free-college/?utm_source=TDS_Email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MorningBell&

[Sanguine]

The wealthiest students ended up receiving more of the free college tuition subsidies, since they were typically the most qualified and therefore most likely to succeed when competing for limited seats.

So, it's not necessarily the wealthiest, though there is a correlation, but the most prepared.  If it's a meritocracy, I don't see the problem.

[rangerrebew]

So, it's not necessarily the wealthiest, though there is a correlation, but the most prepared.  If it's a meritocracy, I don't see the problem.

The kind of meritocracy you are talking about isn't possible in this country.  Already, too many colleges admit students based on low income, being a minority, or being an illegal alien.

[Sanguine]

The kind of meritocracy you are talking about isn't possible in this country.  Already, too many colleges admit students based on low income, being a minority, or being an illegal alien.

The kind of meritocracy I'm talking about is one based on academic merit.  Which has little relation to how students are admitted in US schools now.