With the ever growing debt of 1 trillion dollars on the backs of our county’s young college students and graduates; free college has been a relentless thought for many. To relieve all the pressures of the debt. The Institute for College Access and Success state that, “7 out 10 college seniors (69%) who graduated from public or nonprofit colleges in 2014 had student loan debts, with an average of $28,950 per borrower.” TICA had done another study over a period of 10 years, from 2004 to 2014, about the increase in debt for students. They concluded that by 2014, the percentage of students with debt had risen by 4% (65% to 69%). Moreover, the average debt by the student's graduation had risen double the rate of inflation. All this baggage of debt is hindering the forward movement in many young adult’s lives. Undertaking the tasks of buying a house,saving for the future, starting a new business, buying a car, and starting a family among many other stints are being delayed due to the lump sum of debt. Young college graduates in other countries, however, are living a more rather relaxed style in the terms of paying for college tuition. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is a group that compares data on a variety of topics in advanced industrial nations. In 2014, they released a report that Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway, The Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Sweden, Turkey, Germany, and a few other countries granted the people with college that is free of cost. However, these countries do have slightly higher taxes, but the outcome is definitely worthwhile. Furthermore, the OECD released another report that countries like Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom do not have free tuition, rather, they leave their students with drastically cheaper debts then the debts the students in the United States are left with. In Australia, they charge your college tuition not based on flat rate, but based on how much you earn and what major you choose. With subsidization, they reduce the overall price. Furthermore, they use programs like, “HECS-HELP” to work off the reasonable tuition. For more information click this link, http://studyassist.gov.au/sites/studyassist/helppa... Also, there is a waiting period to find a steady job before you begin payment for the tuition. In New Zealand, similar to Australia, charges tuition based on your overall income. Furthermore, New Zealand also doesn’t charge students interest as well. An “allowance” is also given to students, just like in the free college tuition country of Denmark. This “allowance” is a weekly payment from the government to the student to cover any living expenses while they study. For more information, go to this link, http://www.customs.govt.nz/features/charges/dutyfr... The United Kingdom, however, does not charge tuition based on gross income. 6,000 Euros ($6,634) and at most, 9,000 Euros ($9,952) is what is charged at the UK public colleges, which are what the majority of colleges in the United Kingdom are. Furthermore, if a student’s or family's income plummets below 21,000 Euros ($23,222), the payments are put on hold until the payer can more comfortably afford the tuition. Another surprising factor about cheaper and free college tuition in other countries is that in the terms of overall education ranking; according to a 2015 report by www.russelsage.org , the United States was at 9th. Now that may sound like a decent placing, but the US was beaten by 3 other countries that so happen to have cheaper or free college tuition. Australia came in 8th, Norway came in 7th, and the UK came in 6th. In addition, Denmark and Finland, both of which have free college tuition as well, came in right after the US at 10th place. In the terms of overall college ranking, OECD gave a report in 2015, to the Washington Post. Based on the report, the United States was not even in the top 10; the US ranked at number 15 in the world. About 8 of those countries that ranked above the USA were countries that had cheaper tuition or granted with no college tuition. Is this a sign that the relentless thought of free or cheaper college tuition may be a good idea, or is it just pure coincidence? Aside from other countries, our country has passed a similar law related to ratifying free college tuition many years ago. Yes, that's right. The United States has already done something like it.
After WWII, the GI Bill was passed. This bill gave free education to more than 2 million veterans. The society of the post-war years enjoyed economic growth and high productivity after the investment of the bill. Furthermore, during the late 1880’s and early 1900’s, otherwise known as the Progressive Era, in Richmond, Virginia, people were pushing for a better primary program and a free secondary program. In 1870, the city created first ever public school system. However, the school system was dilapidated. Many children caught disease from the uncleanly school houses. This continued, until 1904, when the Cooperative Education Association was formed. The CEA pushed and obtained funding for vocational schools, better primary programs, kindergartens, and free 4 year public high schools in Richmond, Virginia. This system eventually spread nationwide.
In my opinion, this event in the Progressive Era, is similar to our country’s education system today. Many schools and areas all over the country are very run down and ramshackle. At an alarming rate, students are dropping out of college or thinking of not going at all. This of this is due to poor living situation and not being able to afford to go to college or just a plain lack of motivation. These decrepit schools and unmotivated teens create loss of business, population, poverty, and economic downfall for cities. Schools and education is something that I think should come first. During this time of need, where a majority students are dropping out of college due to laziness,unaffordability or because of the struggle to keep grades up and work a full time job to pay off the heavy load of tuition has become too much; the push for another form of free education must pass. Fortunately, programs already appearing in many cities all over the United States. Yes, cities are already granting free college tuition in our country. Cities like: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; New Haven, Connecticut; Detroit, Michigan are apart the “College Promise Program”. These programs are all a part of the, “College Promise Campaign”, which is run by a company called, “PromiseNet”. The purpose of “College Promise Campaign” is to improve access and affordability in higher education. To learn more information, click these links, http://headsupamerica.us/collegepromise , https://citiesofpromise.com/ . On October 24th to the 26th, in our country’s capital, Washington D.C, the Promise Movement will gather and host the 8th Annual PromiseNet Conference at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. This event will occur just a week before the 45th president of the United States is chosen. The PromiseNet Conference is, stated on their campaign website, “The PromiseNet Conference is an opportunity for the Promise community stakeholders to come together and share best practices around designing, implementing, and sustaining college College Promise Programs. This year, it will bring together practitioners, researchers, and policymakers who are committed to expanding access to higher education and will enable discussions around local place-based scholarship programs, community economic development models and efforts to scale the Promise through state programs and federal proposals.”
Before PromiseNet Conferences came into being and prior to the other organized Promise programs in a multitude of other cities, the first promise program was launched in Kalamazoo, Michigan on November 10th, 2005. Kalamazoo was just a typical, struggling manufacturing town. The population was about 74,000 and in 2007, they really felt the repercussions of the market crash, with thousands of job losses. Since 2007, Kalamazoo has experienced a loss of over 16,000 jobs. Due to job losses and economic reasons, many families fell below the nation's poverty level. This affects many lives of students in the area, with 1 out of 3 of them falling under the poverty line and 1 in 12 of them are homeless. Since the 1970’s, affluent families have been gradually leaving Kalamazoo due to the ever growing negative conditions of the area. Even before the crash, many families were impoverished in the town. Furthermore, the schools were just as penurious, with very little funding from the government. And students were dropping out of school at an alarming rate. Businesses as well were in dire need of help and as a whole, the town of Kalamazoo needed a helping hand. At a Kalamazoo Board of Education meeting on that day in 2005, a “hand” finally reached out. With the struggling town and families and nationwide problem of high college tuition, a brilliant idea was formed. According to a Georgetown University study, bachelor's degree attainers earn 74% more in their lifetime versus those with a high school diploma, who earn 33% more than having no diploma at all. This idea was called the “Kalamazoo Promise”. This plan is a pledge by a group of anonymous donors who pay up to 100% tuition at any Michigan state college or university for all graduates of the public high schools of Kalamazoo. Now a question stands: How is one eligible for the “Kalamazoo Promise”? According to the town’s “Promise Plan” website, https://www.kalamazoopromise.com/participatingcoll... , a student must have spent 4 or more years in the Kalamazoo school district. Furthermore, they must also maintain a 2.0 GPA or higher and must be a full-time student. If a student’s GPA falls lower than a 2.0, they become ineligible for the “Promise Plan”. Since the plan has taken effect, the test scores in Kalamazoo have improved and over 90% of Kalamazoo graduates go on to higher education. 6 in 10 go to Western Michigan University or Kalamazoo Community College. In addition, more Kalamazoo students are being accepted into more selective colleges, like University of Michigan or Michigan State. This correlates to higher grades and more motivation in the Kalamazoo students. Impressively, Kalamazoo graduates are more likely than students to receive 24 credits within 16 months of college and are more likely to apply to college than their statewide student counterparts. The Promise Plan leads to so much success, even success abroad; for the Promise Plan also cover tuition for abroad study programs that are in association with the state colleges or universities.
Not only will this Promise Plan help current students go on to college, it will help the future economy of Kalamazoo and eventually hopefully stop the cycle of poverty in the area. This is how Kalamazoo thinks this plan is going to work: A study showed that 60% of adults return to the region that they lived in at age 4. With a college degree, the students will come back and make an income. This means more money for the Kalamazoo economy. This also means more funding towards the education, safe housing and lifestyle for the student’s future children. This will hopefully end the pattern of poverty in Kalamazoo or a least a large portion. The New York Times reflected on the Kalamazoo Promise and reported, “The biggest difference in salaries between highly and lesser- educated regions is not found in the salaries of the elite, but in the those earned by lower skilled workers. The spillage effects, energize the economy at every level.” 11 years into the plan, the plan has already helped the city in many ways.
The population decline has come to a full halt. About a 1,000 new families moved in a year after the Promise Plan took effect. According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2015 the population was at a staggering 260, 263. Due to the large population increase, the student population multiplied as well. Since the Promise, the student size has grown by 24% and enrollment has gone up by 16%. In 2010 alone, there was a 3% increase in the student population. (12,083 to 12,409) The large growth in student size meant more funding from the state, which is $7,250 per new student. More students meant more funding and more of a need to hire to teachers, creating more jobs. For every 25 students, 1 new teacher would be hired. Currently, 92 teachers have been hired since. Funding from the state meant that the schools were able to renovate. New bonds to build new schools passed for the first time in over 30 years. This created new construction jobs and helped that industry in Kalamazoo. The unkempt schools, unemployment, poverty, and population decrease, hindered the cities ability to support local businesses and attract new ones. However, because the population increased, the schools were being funded more, and the overall being of Kalamazoo flourished, new businesses began to pop up all throughout the city. As stated by the United States Census Bureau, in 2000, Kalamazoo had about 314 businesses. In 2015, that number has skyrocketed to about 5,511! In addition, due to the boom in business, many were able to support the Kalamazoo Promise Plan. Some of the more popular businesses that support the cause are: PNC Bank, Costco, and Goodwill.
The positive occurrences in the town after the Promise was established had created an overwhelming feeling of optimism all throughout the city. A recent study by the University of Miami School of Business Administration, showed that in states where people were more optimistic, an economic recessions are weaker, expansion is stronger, and recoveries from economic downfalls are faster. Despite all of the positive outcomes in the town, one problem is still occurring: Many people in Kalamazoo are still impoverished. 1 in 3 of the Kalamazoo population is still under the national poverty line. 14% of that 1 in 3 are in deep poverty. In addition, 4 in 10 live in neighborhoods of highly concentrated poverty. The income inequality is still high and is above the 80th percentile in the U.S. Comprehensively, it will take a few years before the long-term effects of the Promise Plan to become evident. Meaning, many people right now may be impoverished, but in the future hopefully this pattern will stop.
Many students are using the Promise to their advantage, but for some, the Promise Plan is not enough. Due to falling behind in school, many students rarely catch up. This plays a role in the college dropout rate of 33% in Kalamazoo. The Kalamazoo Promise sparked investment in early education, which many help the problems of the students in the coming years. A study on the economic impact of investing in early childhood programs over long term showed, a raise in earning of the area's residents, improvement in the finances of the local government, and increased property value. The learning network, an organization funded w/ $11 million from the Kalamazoo Community Foundation and with the W.K Kelly foundation, helps pay for the programs for early childhood literacy programs. Although all the money invested is quite a lot, the long term effects will be worthwhile. Other than financial situation, there are some more instances where money and scholarship programs are not enough either. During an NPR interview, Erica Adams and Michelle Miller, both graduates of the Kalamazoo public high schools and Michigan state schools; spoke about how the precedent thoughts of educators and students about higher education changed in Kalamazoo.They also spoke about Promise students being just as likely to drop out of college as any other college student would be due to one reason: troublesome home or personal life. Adams stated, “The reality is, that if you have things going on in your life, either academically or in your home life, that are keeping you from being successful in school, the Kalamazoo Promise does not change those things. It doesn't take away a precarious home life, or insecure housing, or lack of access to food or really poor support in the home for you learning…"
After the Kalamazoo’s success with the Promise, many other cities wanted to partake in it as well. Today, over 60 cities all over the nation are taking part in the Promise. If the promise is working in many cities all across the United States and being so much positive success to the students and the overall economy; then why is our government and many Americans still unsure about the regulation of free college tuition and programs for help programs for primary education? The only disadvantage would most likely be higher taxes. However, wouldn’t the well-being of young people’s education, the positive effect on our economy, and the possibility of abolishing poverty as a whole, be worth the tax? In my opinion, I think it is. On July 8th, 2015, Senator Tammy Baldwin introduced the “America’s College Promise Act of 2015”, which was modeled in response to President Obama's “College Promise Proposal”. It was act to regulate free community college nationwide. For more information, click this link, http://www.aacc.nche.edu/Advocacy/Pages/acpa2015.a... Unfortunately, on November 16th, 2015, the bill was voided.This was due to not having enough votes after being put on the fast track to make a court decision called a “suspension”. As stated before, this October, the 8th PromiseNet Conference will be held in Washington D.C. Will the protest for free college tuition catch the next president's attention and bring it back into the decision making process in court yet again? Only time will tell.
