Posted on 09/18/2019 7:53:39 AM PDT by karpov
ALBUQUERQUE — In one of the boldest state-led efforts to expand access to higher education, New Mexico is unveiling a plan on Wednesday to make tuition at its public colleges and universities free for all state residents, regardless of family income.
The move comes as many American families grapple with the rising cost of higher education and as discussions about free public college gain momentum in state legislatures and on the presidential debate stage. Nearly half of the states, including New York, Oregon and Tennessee, have guaranteed free two- or four-year public college to some students. But the New Mexico proposal goes further, promising four years of tuition even to students whose families can afford to pay the sticker price.
The program, which is expected to be formally announced by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Wednesday and still requires legislative approval, would apply to all 29 of the state’s two- and four-year public institutions. Long one of the poorest states in the country, New Mexico plans to use climbing revenues from oil production to pay for much of the costs.
Some education experts, presidential candidates and policymakers consider universal free college to be a squandering of scarce public dollars, which might be better spent offering more support to the neediest students.
But others say college costs have become too overwhelming and hail the many drives toward free tuition.
“I think we’re at a watershed moment,” said Caitlin Zaloom, a cultural anthropologist at New York University who has researched the impact of college costs on families. “It used to be that a high school degree could allow a young adult to enter into the middle class. We are no longer in that situation. We don’t ask people to pay for fifth grade ...”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
It used to be that a high school degree could allow a young adult to enter into the middle class. We are no longer in that situation.
We used to actually teach kids how to read, write and count in K-12 Schools, Now 80-90% of High School Graduates can do NEITHER, but at least they can all put on a condom.
“Free.”
Hahahahhahahaha. ... hahahahah
The rest of us will pay for it from fed tax dollars. Not one fed dollar should be allowed to go towards supporting this.
NYS’s offer comes with strings, including a requirement to stay in the state for a few years after earning your degree.
Not a lotta takers.
They came up with this scheme because Trump had a huge turnout at the NM rally and theyre worried.
And I wonder if this will run afoul of Sec. 505 of the IIRIRA....
Section 505 of the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) states, “an alien who is not lawfully present in the United States shall not be eligible on the basis of residence within a State (or a political subdivision) for any postsecondary education benefit unless a citizen or national of the United States is eligible for such a benefit (in no less an amount, duration, and scope) without regard to whether the citizen or national is such a resident.”
Louisiana has had a program called TOPS that pays the tuition if a student graduated high school in LA with the proper GPA and SAT/ACT score. Can pay the total tuition cost to a state supported school. Student must maintain a certain GPA and progress toward a degree to keep the money flowing while in college. The bar actually isn’t very high.
We are a poor state and really can’t afford it, but we just let our infrastructure fall apart in the meantime. We are very adept at robbing Peter to pay Paul.
Most would be better off learning a trade than getting an English or “studies” degree.
What do you call a person with a Masters Degree in English?
“Waiter!”
“Residents”?
Define Residents.
Illegal Invaders, Resident Aliens and United States Citizens?
If you thought college was expensive before, wait until its free.
A free education is worth what you pay for it as the lowest common denominator is the standard of classes.
College classroom will compete for homeless with starbuck bathrooms.
NM ping list.
Bend over farther NM taxpayers.
And yet Governorlissima Lujan and her fellow commies in Santa Fe are actively trying to shut down the Oil industry in NM at the same time.
We really need to get rid of these leftist idiots.
“Long one of the poorest states in the country, New Mexico plans to use climbing revenues from oil production to pay for much of the costs.”
This is very illustrative of the ignorance endemic in New Mexico.
1) Planning to use money from climbing oil revenues...while trying to stop drilling and fracking.
2) Tying a permanent program to a funding source famous for price swings and other volatility.
3) And New Mexico gets a windfall, and it never crosses their mind to save it for a rainy day or pay off some of it’s 6 billion dollar debt. They just go spend more.
If NM was a person who owed 20 thousand on credit cards who somehow winds up with a check for 1200 bucks... and immediately runs out and buys a big TV.
“We don’t ask people to pay for fifth grade ...”
My property tax bill begs to differ.
L
There’s no such thing as “free college”.
Um, yeah. About that....
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