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Free College
Issue
The cost of college education has dramatically risen over the years and has become a serious problem for many families. If nothing is done to resolve the issue, higher education may be beyond what an average person may be able to afford in this country.
Two-Year Bachelor's Degree
One way to reduce the cost of college is to reduce the time that it takes to achieve a Bachelor's degree
to just two years rather than four by eliminating unnecessary coursework.
For example, Calculus may be a requirement for a Bachelor's degree, but how many careers actually require such knowledge to do their job? Not many. Same for Shakespeare, World History, and other subjects that are not specific to the particular discipline.
Scholars may say that the extra courses provide an all-around level of education for the student, but that's really just nonsense. Both Master's and Doctorate degrees are focused along a particular discipline, so why not do the same for a Bachelor's degree?
Open And Free College
An even better way of solving the cost of higher education is to make college free as a national online program from the Department of Education's website.
Fully accredited programs would be available with an open-door policy toward admissions (no entrance exam or minimum GPA required). Anyone who wishes to further their education in this country may do so without a hassle and be free of charge.
There are other advantages to having a national online program than just cost. For one, the quality of college education would improve since the Education Dept. would offer what is determined to be the best courses available across the country. This will ensure that the quality of education offered by the national online program is better than what may be offered by a number of state or local community colleges.
Another advantage of having a national online program is that students' grades would improve since the college experience will be more accommodating to the student's particular lifestyle. With an online program, the "study-at-your-own-pace" aspect will enable students to work at a job if they wish, travel, start a family, etc., without sacrificing grades by missing exams or being rushed to fit a course's rigid schedule.
Another advantage of an online program is that retention of the learning material would improve since the student studies the subject in a more relaxed manner, and at their own pace, rather than the typical experience of cramming before an exam (with short-term memory loss).
Another advantage is that academic disciplines would be further advanced by being more profitable for the principal investigator. Newly added courses may charge a fee up to 99 cents until the introductory 5-year period expires. After that, the course becomes free of charge for all students thereafter.
The author who created the course will receive the fee as reimbursement. So, depending on how popular the new course becomes during the introductory 5-year period, the author could be awarded with perhaps millions of dollars from students nationwide, which provides a greater incentive for advancing academic disciplines than presently.
However, a consequence of providing an open and free college program is that other colleges and universities will be unable to compete, and will end up closing as a result. A campus building or two may survive with the purpose of being converted into a lab if such is necessary for the national online program.
College professors may move onto other things or become online tutors. If students prefer a classroom atmosphere, professors may be hired to conduct an online chat room where the course is presented on a fixed and regular basis. This will provide students with another option if they wish rather than just downloading a video and learning by independent self-study.
Overall, the concern of affording a college education would be a thing in the past if the Dept. of Education offered a national online program that is free and open to everyone.
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