[grania]

The problem is that too many "students" are going to college who lack the interest and/or ability to prepare for jobs that require a college education. They'd be far better off with vocational courses, in high school with a one year training program, if necessary, after HS graduation. Another way to solve the problem is to make it easier to be self-employed or start and grow a small business, with HS courses that teach skills that can earn income and manage a business.

The solution involves less students going to college while getting back to the high school diploma meaning something, with acceptance that not all students will earn one. Free community college will just give the least capable two more years of hanging around and collecting government freebies.

Think about it. A young lady out of HS could have one or two children and live very easy with government freebies during her two free years of community college!

[dfwgator]

The world needs ditch diggers too.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

I understand your reasoning, but I don't like the idea of pigeonholing people into college-bound, not college bound based on their early life experiences. One of the great things about this country, that is not replicated in lots of places around the world, is that one can be a ‘late bloomer’ and achieve amazing things. I agree with making vocational training more widely available, but also think that we should not be looking at vocational training as an alternative for ‘those who aren't suited for college’. Actually, there are probably plenty of people who did well in college that just don't have it in them to be a good tradesman, and who wouldn't do well with vocational training.

That said, I very strongly believe that an important component of getting beyond the expenses incurred for higher education, and the unpreparedness of those going out into the work force, is to expand online courses and learning, start the use of these in elementary school, diminish the requirement for ‘bricks and mortar’ institutions in this context, and institute privately administrated standardized testing to determine whether or not a person has mastered a specific level of expertise in an given area. This could be done with most things, and I guarantee that many who never attend a university physically will out test those who do.

[Calvin Locke]

But fewer “college” “students” would mean a reduction in the faculty of schools, and that translates into fewer $$$ for the DNC and other progressives.

[Theodore R.]

The solution involves less students going to college while getting back to the high school diploma meaning something, with acceptance that not all students will earn one. Free community college will just give the least capable two more years of hanging around and collecting government freebies.

So true, but the American people will never accept your logic here.

[catnipman]

“They’d be far better off with vocational courses”

Sorry, that’s not gonna fly because you can’t get degrees in Womyns Studies, African Studies, Nineteenth Century Transgender Lesbian Dance Theory and other such highly coveted degrees in vocational schools.

[grundle]

Yep. It’s better to make a good living as a plumber than to get a worthless degree and work at Starbucks.