Free College makes the discourse at the center of political campaigns for this year’s presidential elections in US. The main argument is that tuition and debt have been increasing every year and that students and families feel skeptical of  opportunities to transition to adulthood after graduation. However, the debt due to student loans in US is not a recent concern among college goers and their families, a global issue has just ascended.  The clash of economic markets because of the new Coronavirus pandemic it is perceived to affect  quality and costs related to higher education globally.  Still, the scope of policies related to tertiary education  should not shift from supporting high school graduates to have  access to college education, as more than 65% of job markets  require a degree higher than high school diploma.  What would then be more convenient than having the opportunity to attend free college? As implementation of “free” college is easier said than done, a closer look to what others have done , could  become an inspiration to  the American policy makers.  The model proposed therefore, is the German higher education system where public higher education is “free”.

     There are three main reasons why the German model should serve as a reference. First , in Germany, the issues in education are overseen by both the federal government and the local governments  just like in US. Second, free tuition in public German universities has been enforced since 2014, which makes it a relatively new privilege for high school graduates. Third, German research universities were an inspiration for the US education systems in its early stages of formation. While it might be a good idea to reference them again, both strengths and weaknesses of implementing free public college education should be acknowledged.  Here are a few pin points that free college in US  should borrow from the German model.

     First, the costs of instruction in public institutions are supported by local governments as well as federal governments. The students must still pay for their accommodations, books, food, transportation, services of communication and leisure.  Second, the applicants must meet some parameters such as having a high school graduation diploma, payment of application and some administration fees, and passing an entry exam in the interest field of study. However, there are opinions that suggest that free college tuition is not really free in Germany because there are costs associated with education that are not included in the tuition but are needed in order to finish a course of study. Further, the quality of education declined because of the absence of extra services that a student needs while in college to graduate on time. As the German model may work as a reference, it also shows limitations to free public college, mainly because it would cause decline in quality of education.

      These limitations are not strange to US higher education system that enforces the connection of quality to instruction and services provided in college. Therefore, waiving the tuition in American HE may cause reduction of number of administrators who assist students while in college with guidance and advisement. It might also generate insufficiency of qualified professors hired due to budgetary restrictions imposed by states’ governments which causes work overload to the professors on duty.

     Acknowledging the limitations of free tuition, I suggest an adjustment to the German model in order to be adaptable to the US education system. While respecting all the criteria of application as in the German model, including limitation on indecisions and transfers from one institution to another, all students should pay for the first year of college and then benefit of free tuition based on merit. Borrowing from the policy of average point GPA used in allocating funds such as scholarships and some grant aids , the policy on free college tuition should also decide on a standard GPA ( suggested 3.0) that a student must maintain in order to qualify for free tuition. If at the end of any school year the student does not maintain the standard GPA required for free tuition, then the student should pay for the following school year.

      The model of free college based on merit would enforce that the quality of education is reflected in both: the institution’s efforts in offering excellence in instruction and administration services, as well as in student’s academic performance. The students would have to maintain certain grades in order to pay for one year of college at the most. The public colleges on the other hand, should offer high quality of education to rank among the institutions that have the least students who drop out. As drop outs would most likely increase if students do not qualify for free tuition because of their GPA, colleges would have to offer proper guidance and instructions in order to motivate students to meet academic standards for free schooling.  

     Finance would be one high challenge faced by the free college model for public institutions in US, based on merit. How would costs be covered for certain instruction and services which otherwise would have been covered from the tuition? First, it should not be ignored the fact that not all students would benefit of free college.  This is a model based on merit. This policy, just like in Germany, shall determine on free tuition for instruction while other costs related to housing, study materials, food, transportation and any type of leisure (including sports facilities) would still be supported by students and families. Second, each institution shall readjust the organization and government to fit the model. Third, the model does not insinuate obliteration of policies for financial aid to students who do not qualify for free tuition. Lastly, local and federal governments must still allocate budgets, but the institutions must also take responsibilities of increasing short term as well as long term assets.