Ocasio-Cortez Advocates for Tuition-Free Public Colleges
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has put forth the idea of “tuition-free public colleges and universities” as a way to address the soaring costs associated with private education.
During a “Students vs. Billionaires Town Hall” held on Sunday and organized by More Perfect Union, Ocasio-Cortez was questioned about the measures her team and the Democratic Party are taking to ensure that families with middle and low incomes can still afford quality higher education. This inquiry was prompted by the recent news that Cornell University has set its tuition over the $100,000 mark annually.
Ocasio-Cortez reacted with surprise at the staggering tuition fee, acknowledging that it exceeds the annual income of many households across the nation.
The congresswoman pointed out that a significant portion of funds that colleges and universities utilize seems to lean more toward real estate investment rather than educational enhancement. She expressed concern that many institutions invest in “new buildings and facilities, often marketed as luxury,” while adjunct faculty members are often underpaid and the overall quality of education declines.
“We need to enhance accountability because many of these schools receive federal funds. Occasionally, what they do is charge exorbitant tuition, like $100,000, to qualify more students for financial aid, which ultimately needs to be linked to educational investment rather than padding the profits of these institutions, particularly when taxpayer money is involved,” Ocasio-Cortez stated. “The most effective way to control rising costs in private institutions is to offer fixed, affordable, high-quality services in public schools. This translates to implementing tuition-free public colleges and universities throughout the United States.”
“For anyone who thinks this is an unrealistic or extravagant wish of progressives, this is essentially what was available to baby boomers,” Ocasio-Cortez added. “Public colleges in America were tuition-free during the sixties and seventies. And, as with many social services like public housing and education, the funding began to decline once they were subject to racial integration.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks reinforce her previous support for the notion of “free college for all children in the United States, including those from affluent families.”
