Free College Programs Don’t Benefit Low-Income Students

Two recent reports from the Institute of Higher Education Policy and the Education Trust found that programs offering free tuition to low-income students typically do not have the intended impact of making college more affordable. Because these programs only cover the leftover tuition of what other forms of federal and state aid do not cover, they usually do not lower other financial barriers, such as housing, transportation, or textbook costs. While some program advocates have said that these reports analyze financial aid programs in a vacuum and not in context of other forms of aid, the reports nonetheless recommend close scrutiny of free tuition programs and suggest adding other forms of financial support to fully enable low-income students to attend college.