An article in Reason throws shade on the idea of free community college for all. The major argument it makes against community college being free is that the classes will load up with people who don’t really want to be there but can’t think what else to do with themselves.
It isn’t an exact analogy but decades ago as a young man I taught full-time for two years at a CA community college before going to Oregon for my doctorate. This was during the Vietnam draft era and my classes were loaded with men who had no interest in college but were using student status to get a draft deferment.
Most such couldn’t be bothered studying but they’d whine about poor grades sending them to ‘Nam and their death, as if I should pass them so they could dodge the draft. I told them the price of staying in school was doing the work and earning the grades; if they couldn’t be bothered, the military was welcome to them. I expect some went to Canada.
The article is correct that loading community college classes up with young people who don’t know what else to do with their lives does neither them nor the college any favors - been there, done that. And besides, whatever you get for free is worth to you exactly what you paid for it - nada.
