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Proposal for Free College for All
20 June 2021
202130 PADM 550
Dr. Tamika Russell
Defining the Problem
More than 55% of students who graduated from colleges have a student loan debt
(Aldridge, 2021, para. 12). The bill called S. 1288 College for All Act would allow for free of
cost tuition for students in public colleges and universities (GovTrack, 2021). This act would be
for students whose family annual income is below $125,000. Roughly 44.7 million people are in
student debt of more than $1.71 trillion in the United States (Aldridge, 2021, para. 11).
May
Biblical guidelines and principles
According to the Natural law, the government cannot be the greatest form of authority,
because it must act within the authority given by God (Fischer, 2013, 1). “An intelligent heart
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acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge” (Proverbs 18:15). In this regard, it
is important that society as a whole with the guidance of policies and as the Bible states, promote
peace and love, rather than to hate. Inalienable rights also promote life, liberty, and property, so
that people cannot live in fear (Fisher, 2013, 2).
Constitutional guidelines for federal and state involvement
Education is not considered a fundamental right under the Constitution, however the
equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment does make it so that every child living in the
United States does not get denied access to school. The constitution states “nor shall any State
deprive any person of life, liberty…nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal
protection of the laws” (U.S Const. amend. XVI, § 1). Failure to education could lead to higher
future social costs related to unemployment, welfare, and crime (BRIA, 2020, para. 6). In order
to enhance education, the government requires a stronger central power.
Can
Political Feasibility
This policy has not become a law, only been introduced into Congress. It has gained
mixed political support from lawmakers. Some believe that free college for most would be too
costly, others say higher education should be a right for all. (Aldridge, 2021, para. 14). Opposing
side argues that many students waste their time in college, along with taxpayer dollars for a
degree they won’t obtain (ProCon, 2019, para 4). The side in favor argues that historically, the
United States economy and society has benefited from tuition free college (ProCon, 2019, para
4).
Financial feasibility
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The bill would be paid for by the Tax on Wall Street Speculation Act, which would raise
the tax of stock trades to 0.5 percent (Aldridge, 2021, para. 10). This tax would raise $2.4 trillion
over the next decade, allowing for the federal government to pay for 75% of the tuition costs, the
other 25% would be paid by the states (Aldridge, 2021, para. 14). This bill will cost roughly $47
billion per year to provide free college education to all that qualify (ProCon, 2019, para 4).
Practical feasibility
This bill is sustainable because it is a resource for education, but only if the financial
support is available. It will require more resources such as software and employees to administer
the reports financial aid distribution. The act does not give clear details as to how many
additional employees, computers, or training will be required (Aldridge, 2021, para. 14). This act
will need functional websites and phone lines in order to be an available resource.
Should
The S. 1288 College for All Act passes the May portion of the analysis, because the
government should allow for greater resources for college education. The Can portion of the
analysis is more complex, because there are many factors such as raising taxes with lawmakers
both for and against this act. There should be more resources and programs to help lower the
high volume of debt students are currently encountering throughout the United States. The
funding is still uncertain, however this is a matter that needs to be addressed.
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References
Aldridge, B. (2021). College at no cost? Here’s who could get tuition-free education under
proposed bill. Mahoning Matters. Retrieved from
https://www.mahoningmatters.com/local-news/college-at-no-cost-heres-who-could-get-
tuition-free-education-under-proposed-bill-3653160
BRIA 7 4 c Education and the 14th Amendment. (2020). Constitutional Rights Foundation.
Retrieved from https://www.crf-usa.org/bill-of-rights-in-action/bria-7-4-c-education-and-
the-14th-amendment
English Standard Version Bible. (2001). ESV Online. https://esv.literalword.com/
Fischer, K. (2013). Biblical Principles of Government. Blackboard. Graham, L. (2018). S.2311
GovTrack.us. (2021). S. 1288 — 117th Congress: College for All Act of 2021. Retrieved from
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/117/s1288
ProCon.org. (2019) Free College - Top Pros and Cons. ProCon. Retrieved from
https://www.procon.org/headlines/free-college-top-3-pros-and-cons/
U. S. Const. amend. XVI, § 1
