The United States has one of the best higher education systems in the world, and combined with programs like the G.I. Bill and National Defense Student Loan, it (along with strong unions) helped to produce a vibrant and growing middle class in this country. It is also the reason why students from all over the world come to this country to get a college education.
But the Republicans are changing that. By deregulating college tuition (and other costs), and by creating a high interest loan program (instead of free tuition programs) to cover the rising college costs they caused, they are making college unaffordable for far too many students -- and that (along with a serious weakening of unions) is contributing to a shrinking middle class in this country.
The Gallup Poll recently did a survey of Americans on the higher education system in this country. That survey was done in November and December of 2014 of a random national sample of 1,533 adults, and had a margin of error of 3.3 points. That survey contained both good and bad news.
The good news (top chart) is that Americans believe higher education is available to all students who need it. But that is tempered by the bad news (bottom chart). While most Americans (61%) believe that college is available to everyone, an even larger percentage (79%) say college is no longer affordable to a large and growing segment of students who need it.
The really sad part of this is that paying for a student's college education by the government is a cost-effective exercise (something the Republicans claim to believe in). It is just a fact that those students who get a college education will pay far more in increased taxes on their increased incomes over their working lives than the cost of providing them a free education. That is why other developed countries do this -- and it is why the United States should be doing it.
Unfortunately, current Republicans don't have the capacity to think in the long rage. They just want to make money off providing loans to students at an inflated rate. This not only brings in less money for the government in the long term, but it also keeps many students from being able to go to college (because they can no longer afford it) -- and that hurts our society, both now and in the future.
President Obama has proposed free tuition for students in community colleges. That's a good step, but it doesn't go far enough. The government should provide free tuition in all public colleges and universities.