Free college education is a policy where college education is free and funded by the government.
Proposals for tuition-free college are a major dividing line in American politics, proving far more popular among Democrats than Republicans. Polling indicates that 82% of Democrats would support making college and university tuition-free, compared to 33% of Republicans.
The Democratic Party platform policy stance on free college education generally advocates for it and all other forms of making higher education debt-free. Supporters typically argue that society and the economy would benefit from a more educated population and that everyone deserves the opportunity to pursue higher education. Meanwhile, the Republican platform advocates for a shift away from government regulation of student debt towards a more free-market system. Opponents of free college argue that it would not eliminate student debt, as students would still need to cover costs like housing and books. Taxpayers would also have to spend billions to subsidize tuition.
The Democratic Stance on Free College Education
The democratic policy stance is in favor of free college education. The Democratic Party strongly emphasized affordable college tuition in its platforms during both the 2016 and 2020 elections. The 2016 platform aimed to enable students to graduate from college debt-free, while the 2020 platform promised to make public college and university tuition-free for families earning less than $125,000.
This support has had legislative action at both the state and federal levels. For example, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a program in 2022 that offered state residents the opportunity to attend public colleges and universities tuition-free. Similarly, in 2023, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed the North Star Promise, a program allowing Minnesota residents earning $80,000 or less to attend public colleges tuition-free.
At the federal level, Joe Biden proposed the American Families Plan during the first 100 days of his administration, which would have allocated $109 billion to make two years of community college free and invested another $85 billion in Pell Grants. However, the plan did not secure enough votes to pass in Congress. In 2024, committee Democrats continued this push by launching the Roadmap to College Student Success, which contained two key bills. The America’s College Promise Act sought to provide two years of tuition-free community college, and the Pell to Grad Act would increase Pell Grant eligibility.
This focus by Democratic politicians aligns with the view of the party’s voters. The Pew Research Center data shows that 85% of Democratic voters support enacting free college policies
The Republican Stance on Free College Education
The republican stance on free college education is one against free college and education. Republican legislators argue against free college education because it would unfairly shift the cost of college onto taxpayers and increase the deficit. As former U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said, “Only a third of Americans pursue four-year college degrees. Why should two-thirds pay for the other one-third?”
Instead, Republicans’ higher ed policies are focused on compelling colleges to lower their costs and promoting market-based solutions. The GOP Platform stated a goal to make colleges and universities more affordable by driving down the actual cost of tuition. A legislative example of this approach is the College Cost Reduction Act, introduced by Representative Virginia Foxx. The act aims to increase institutional accountability by forcing colleges to cosign a portion of their students’ loans and would also place stricter caps on student loan borrowing.
Among Republican voters, opinions on this issue show significant differences across demographic lines. Data from the Pew Research Center reveals that while only 36% of Republicans overall support making tuition at public colleges and universities free, the idea is much more popular with younger members of the party. Republicans under 30 are nearly twice as likely, at 45% to support free college education when compared to Republicans 65 and older at 23%. A similar gap exists based on education levels, with 48% of Republicans without a college degree supporting the policy, compared to only 25% of Republicans with a degree.
Brief History of Free College Education in the US
Affordable education policy in the United States has existed since the 1860s, particularly at the state level. California’s original state constitution of 1868 stated that the University of California would not charge tuition to state residents, a policy that extended to the state’s public regional and junior colleges. Other major public universities, including the University of Florida, the City University of New York, and Texas A&M University, also began as tuition-free universities.
However, by the 1960s, many of these institutions began charging tuition. This shift was driven by increased demand for higher education following World War II, which led to a massive surge in enrollment that strained university resources. When higher education associations lobbied Congress for massive direct federal funding to universities, the idea was rejected. Instead, Congress shifted its focus to creating Pell Grants, a large-scale, need-based financial aid program, along with numerous loan and work-study programs. This marked a fundamental change from funding institutions to funding individual students.
The modern free college education movement was renewed when former President Obama addressed the topic during his State of the Union speech in 2015. He advocated that the effort should begin with community colleges. Since then, free college education has been a prominent part of many Democratic politicians’ platforms, most notably Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
Public Opinion on Free College Education
According to 2021 data from the Pew Research Center, sixty-three percent of American adults support making tuition free at public colleges and universities, including 34% who strongly support it and 29% who somewhat support it. A closer look at this data reveals a significant difference in the level of support across demographic groups. Support is notably higher among people of color, with 86% of Black Americans, 82% of Hispanics, and 69% of Asian Americans in favor compared to 53% of White Americans. Age is also a strong factor, as 73% of adults under the age of 30 are in favor, compared to 51% of adults who are 65 and older.
Another poll done by Education Next found that 66% of respondents support free two-year public college, and 61% support free four-year public college. Among parents, support is even higher, with 75% supporting free two-year public college, and 70% supporting free four-year public college.
What the Future Holds
The future of the free college movement will likely continue in the states, as more Democratic-led states may follow the path of New Mexico and Minnesota. These state-level programs will provide crucial data on the policy’s impact on enrollment, graduation rates, state budgets, and workforce development, which will in turn inform the national debate.
To compare political parties’ views on other key policy topics, visit Biasly’s full list of Political Party Policy Stances.
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