@me29034 - you are correct; I did not read the question properly; however, Ivies excepted, many of the others do offer free tuition for many, if not most, in return for xxx work hours per semester, i.e.
Williamson Free School For Mechanical Trades (men only 3-yr trade program; includes room & board)
Deep Springs includes R&B (Each student receives a full-scholarship of over $50,000 a year. Students are expected to work 20 hours per week (minimum) on the farm, or in college or community jobs.)
College of The Ozarks (College of the Ozarks is a tuition-free college for full-time students. About ninety percent of applicants are required to show financial need to get accepted. Students are required to work 15 hours a week at an on-campus work station and a 40-hour work week during breaks. The school provides a summer work program to cover the cost of room and board.)
Berea (Berea College does not charge tuition and awards a four-year tuition scholarship to every admitted student (amounts to nearly $100,000). However, every student is required to work at least 10 hours per week in campus-approved jobs. This scholarship also works in accordance with any other grants or scholarships students receive. The college may cover other costs such as room/board and fees; most students receive additional aid for these costs.)
Let me clarify my question, it’s about free college where every academically eligible teen is welcome to attend, financial information or consent of another adult is not required. Just like it’s not required for anything else once you are 18. It’s not a college where some are paying $80,000 per year, some $20,000 and others $0. No one is paying, money isn’t a question if you work hard and stay committed to learning.
At such a college it doesn’t matter if your parents are poor or rich or middle. Some truly non-profit colleges using big endowment for providing truly free education to bright students. You get in on your own, get an education for free, contribute to your college community with chores and start paying back a small monthly installment once you are gainfully employed.
Unlike military where you are practically signing on your life but still an equally dignified solution where you aren’t constrained by how much your parents or system wants to pay or not pay. As with sky high tuitions of colleges and abandonment of merit scholarships by most selective colleges, it’s just not possible for youth to pay through part time work or loans. Colleges are basically doing business with parents or doing charity, there is no third option to do it on your own if you are a bright student wanting to attend a selective college like minded peers.
I take issue with your “it’s not required for anything else once you are 18.” What big ticket items can any 18 year old pay for on their own? House? not likely. Car? also not likely. Fancy trip? Diamonds? Etc. Etc. There’s nothing special about college not being affordable to an 18 year old. How could it be? Colleges do not require your parents to pay anymore than it is required that they pay for a house, a Ferrari, a trip around the world, etc.
The only difference is that if parents don’t have the money, many/most schools will kick in some funds to help. Unlike the house, car, etc. So I don’t get your point. Why and how should this very expensive item (“selective college”) be given away for free to those who have access to resources?
So, @CupCakeMuffins , you are okay with students being required to pay ‘some small amount’ after college, but not okay with committing to military service? I don’t understand why you don’t think that’s a problem. A student could also do Americorps and get the current Pell grant amount to use for college, thus working in advance of getting the ‘free’ education.
I agree with @oldfort that there is no other place the 18 year old can just show up and get education, room and board, medical care without obligation to anything more than just hang out with like minded peers. There is the military offering educational benefits, pay, medical benefits, room and board to 18 year olds. What else? Even if the 18 year old has a job, many landlords won’t rent to the person.
The closest you are going to come to a free education is at a community college that offers free tuition. The student would still have to pay for room and board, probably books.
There are several schools that offer a free ride to NMF, but not to all students. NMF finalists can go to most of the public schools in Florida at no cost, but they’ll have to put up with students who are there because their parents can pay, or students who are taking out loans and actually paying for college. No utopia where all the students are sitting around discussing great books without a care in the world.
Well, colleges don’t give parents access to student’s information then why should a parent give them access to their information? Parents can’t even access health, academic, legal or financial records of their kids after 18.
Military asks a binding contract to work for them, serve into wars you don’t consider justified and may require you to sacrifice life as well. Not to mention risk of PTSD and disability. We need soliders who want to be guardians of the nation, not ones who are only half heartedly there for educational and other free benefits.
Obviously no college has to do it if this is a flawed idea. I am only questioning if this model has been explored before and is it feasible. You guys gave some great arguments about why it’s a bad idea but I didn’t hear anyone debating it with neutral objectivity.
You automatically have no real discussion when you use the terms “selective university” and “like-minded peers.”
Plenty of “like-minded peers” are found on university campuses across the country that are not classified as “selective.” The idea that top students are only found on a handful of campuses is false.
Including the OP, in this moderator’s opinion. And since the conversation is circular, and the OP is advocating debate on the issue,then this whole thread violates ToS. I’m closing.
