6 Facts You Need to Know About Free Colleges

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Free college seems awesome.

Can he actually appear in the United States? Candidate for the post of President of the country from the Democratic Party, Bernie Sanders, certainly thinks so.

“Should community colleges and universities be free? Hell yes?! I mean, this is exactly what we should do,” he said during a debate in Brooklyn. To which Hillary Clinton responded: “If someone promises you something for free, read the fine print.”

CNN said that you need to know about free training, which Bernie Sanders is talking about.

1. Free education applies only to public schools.

According to the Pew research center, only 68% of students attend public institutions.

Private schools are likely to be the exception. They tend to charge higher tuition but often offer financial aid. Some private colleges, such as Harvard and Yale, have a debt-free approach. This means that they charge no more than what they think the student's family can afford to pay.

2. For food and accommodation will still have to pay

In some colleges, room and board are more expensive than tuition. State college students paid 14 thousands of dollars this year, of which only 4 thousands of dollars went to study. The remaining 10 thousand dollars were spent on food and accommodation.

Given this, Sanders does not want students to borrow money to pay for food, accommodation and other expenses. If it is determined that a student spends more than his family can pay, he will receive a federal, state or school grant to cover expenses.

3. More students need help

A large percentage of families cannot pay for their own state college. They have to borrow money. In 2009, 60 percent of public school graduates resorted to a loan to pay for their education.

Sanders plans to reduce the interest rate on federal student loans.

4. Education will not be completely free.

Someone has to pay. Under Sanders' plan, the amount colleges typically receive for tuition would now be covered by the U.S. and state governments. Thus, the Federal Reserve would lose $47 billion per year and the state would lose an average of $23 billion per year.

5. It will not be easy to implement

The idea of ​​free education will be difficult to sell. The fact is that cash-strapped states are having a hard time maintaining current levels of college aid. For example, Illinois has been reducing its allocation of public funds to colleges for years. The current economic situation is a dead end for educational institutions. The current circumstances force them to take significant measures to stay afloat.

6. Free training programs already exist

Tennessee and Oregon have already introduced a free education system with public funds.

In Tennessee, the program started last fall. Tuition is, on average, 1165 dollars per year per student. A similar program in August of this year will appear in Oregon.

Detroit, for example, uses private donations to fund a new free tuition program at its local colleges. In the end, part of the money will come from property taxes.

Although it can not be called free education, but Louisiana has one of the most generous offers for training. Currently, it is used by 47 thousands of students. It covers the tuition fees of those students who meet certain academic standards. However, program funding is at risk, as the state is experiencing a massive budget deficit.

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