I like some more than others. It’s a mixed bag. The people calling for free education and student load forgiveness for all are out of their minds. Others would be god for this country, especially our image worldwide.
I worked on the campaign for governor of Colorado back in 2006. We worked on a plan for free (or nearly free) college because it was good for business. We compete against other countries where college is free and we produce students so far in debt that they have a hard time seeing daylight before their kids are in college.
Our plan, which had the blessings of business CEOs and high level investors, was to establish a fund. We would contribute to the number of students who could be supported from revenue from the fund....and no more. So the base pool of funds would never go down. The students would be selected from the top ranks of schools in the state. If the fund could support a thousand students...then that was the limit.
Only students in science, engineering, medicine, chemistry and geology were to be
included....that pissed the two lawyers on our team off.
If you, as a student, applied and were accepted then you'd agree to a full ride, but also to work in Colorado until your full debt were forgiven (20% per year). If you did not accept a job in your field or if you left the state you would agree to pay back the remaining portion of the loan.
A College educated and skilled workforce means they pay more in taxes as they earn more. A better educated workforce means the state of Colorado is more attractive to businesses. Nationally, a better workforce makes our country more competitive.