Should Public University Education Be Free?

“Germany eliminated tuition at all public universities in 2014 after lower-income students were found to be disproportionately deterred by fees. Since then, enrollment grew and graduate earnings held steady. The evidence that free tuition expands access without degrading quality now spans multiple countries.”

“Student loan debt in the US topped $1.7 trillion in 2024 — roughly the GDP of Canada. Default rates are highest among borrowers who attended but did not finish, meaning the current system punishes the most vulnerable students while the debt follows them for decades, suppressing home purchases, family formation, and entrepreneurship.”

““Should” politely proposes an action while implying a “must” that entails state compulsion. The word “be” frames the debate around utilitarian consequences associated with magically eliminating cost. A debate around utilitarian consequences associated with magically eliminating cost can neither be won nor lost. It’s simply a question of preferences. Imagine debating the same proposition, reworded as follows, to an audience comprised of those who maintain our society’s infrastructure: Should the state use force to compel men who never attend university to pay the costs of those that do?”

“Students from the top income quartile are 8 times more likely to earn a four-year degree than those from the bottom quartile. Making tuition free does not remove the non-tuition barriers — housing, food, childcare, foregone wages — that keep low-income students from completing. The countries with the best educational mobility (Denmark, Finland) pair free tuition with robust living stipends — a far more expensive package than tuition elimination alone.”