Statewide free college programs are growing in popularity. The United States now has 23 programs – an increase of 8 programs compared to three years ago – that cover tuition and fees at either two or four-year institutions.
While college affordability advocates celebrate the trend, a recent study released by The Education Trust, a nonprofit for higher education reform, concludes that just because these programs offer free tuition, that does not mean they are equitably designed.
The increase in free college programs “shows that state leaders are taking affordability seriously,” said co-author Jaime Ramirez-Mendoza, a higher education policy analyst at The Education Trust. “Unfortunately though, states still have a long way to go when it comes to creating equitable free college programs. A lot of programs do not benefit those with the highest needs [or] cover expenses beyond tuition and exclude a lot of today’s college students.”
Following up on a similar study in 2018, the report shows that few of the state programs measure up to the organization’s definition of an equitable free college program.
In fact, most programs don’t contribute to living expenses, which are a barrier for low-income students. Only a third of programs cover tuition for four years, including bachelor’s degrees. Though two years of free community college is an affordable option for low-income students, the report points out that Black and Latino students are underrepresented among bachelor’s degree earners and will continue to be if price deters them.
Many free college programs are also inaccessible to students who need them most. According to the report, 14 of the 23 programs that exist exclude non-traditional students, like older adults and returning students, who did not enroll in college immediately after high school. Nearly 36 million people in America spent some time in college but never got their degrees, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center data.
For policymakers, “there’s still this myth of today’s college student being someone who is coming right out of high school, going to a four-year college full-time, not working, reading on the lawn in between classes,” said Dr. Tiffany Jones, senior director of higher education policy at The Education Trust. “This kind of picture in their mind of what a college student is [is actually] disconnected from the realities of today’s college students where 40% are part-time, for example. One in five are parents themselves.”
