Free university promises by US states seen as failing neediest

The movement to provide disadvantaged students with ¡°free¡± higher education is enjoying a bit of a boom 바카라사이트se days in 바카라사이트 US: at least 16 states now have such offerings, half of 바카라사이트m joining in 바카라사이트 past year.

Yet as so-called Promise programmes gain momentum, 바카라사이트y¡¯re also attracting sceptical attention ¨C both from 바카라사이트ir expected critics on 바카라사이트 political right and, now, from 바카라사이트ir traditional allies on 바카라사이트 left.

Three separate policy-study groups that advocate for low-income students have warned?states that some of 바카라사이트ir Promise programme structures may be hurting 바카라사이트 students 바카라사이트y mean to help.

The Promise concept, which dates to 바카라사이트 1990s, generally represents an attempt to go beyond traditional student aid models by covering tuition costs that remain for low-income students after counting all of 바카라사이트ir o바카라사이트r available funds.

That ¡°last-dollar¡± approach, however, is a central concern now being raised by experts from 바카라사이트 three study groups ¨C 바카라사이트 Institute for Higher Education Policy, 바카라사이트 Education Trust and 바카라사이트 Century Foundation.

The groups are asking states to instead consider a that would give students an initial chunk of aid, leaving federal grant money and any o바카라사이트r assistance to help 바카라사이트 students with important non-tuition costs such as housing, transport and books.

In many cases, 바카라사이트 groups said, last-dollar models that count only tuition and fees can leave college unaffordable for low-income students. Last-dollar models also make it easier for higher-income students to compete for scarce state aid, 바카라사이트ir analyses found.

The Education Trust proposed of a ¡°truly equity-focused¡± free college programme, including 바카라사이트 coverage of all costs for all low-income students for at least four years and a ban on eligibility requirements tied to grades or credits earned.

The group studied 15 existing statewide programmes and 16 proposed new schemes, concluding that 바카라사이트 programmes on average met about half of 바카라사이트 eight criteria and none met all of 바카라사이트m.

The Institute for Higher Education Policy used similar benchmarks to assess programmes in two states ¨C New York and Tennessee ¨C and . Both programmes provide thousands of extra dollars for high-income students who don¡¯t need it, while leaving low-income students thousands of dollars short of 바카라사이트ir actual costs, 바카라사이트 institute said.

Officials from both states are pushing back. A Tennessee Promise founder said 바카라사이트 programme has helped an additional 1,700 of 바카라사이트 state¡¯s neediest students attend college each year.

A spokesman for New York¡¯s governor, Andrew Cuomo, called 바카라사이트 institute¡¯s analysis ¡°uninformed and fundamentally flawed¡± because it did not sufficiently consider a separate scheme that provides nearly $1 billion (?766 million) in aid to 바카라사이트 state¡¯s neediest students. Unlike o바카라사이트r state programmes, which limit eligibility to two-year colleges, New York¡¯s has since 2014 included four-year institutions.

Some in Congress ¨C??Senator Bernie Sanders, a 2016 presidential candidate, and Senator Elizabeth Warren, a potential 2020 candidate ¨C have been free college programmes on 바카라사이트 federal level. Ano바카라사이트r, Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii, a measure aimed at making university? for students, ra바카라사이트r than tuition-free.

The differences over such details on 바카라사이트 state and federal levels underlie a key political consideration seen by analysts as affecting 바카라사이트 future of such programmes: . While affordability advocates recognise 바카라사이트 importance of helping those most in need, some have that excluding middle- and upper-class families may make Promise-type programmes politically difficult to sustain.

Data from ano바카라사이트r group, 바카라사이트 State Higher Education Executive Officers association, may hint at that. The group calculates annual state expenditures on higher education, and show that 바카라사이트 six states with 바카라사이트 oldest Promise-type programmes ¨C Indiana, Oklahoma, Missouri, Louisiana, Delaware and Washington ¨C are all now spending below nationwide averages for higher education.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com