This would save young Americans from going into crippling debt, but it would also make a university degree completely unaffordable for most. However, in the age of the Internet, that doesn’t mean they couldn’t get an education.
Consider the long term impact of this. There are a lot of different ways such a situation could go, for better and for worse.
University study for useful degrees that benefit society should be free and paid for by society. It used to be the case in my country until they decided to take a leaf out of America’s book and screw everyone over.
So for example, something like an art degree should be paid (with no interest imo) however most STEM degrees should be free. Same with nursing and similar degrees too.
It’s ok if these free degrees come with strings attached, such as having to work and apply your skills in the country for X years as a minimum.
What you describe is to some extent existing in multiple countries. Basically the degrees in industries that lack specialists get more free slots whereas the others get less. As a student you can still start studying for a fee, if you don’t match the requirements (usually it is based on grades) but you can get to a free slot later on if your grades are good enough.
Education is generally beneficial for society.
I’m not sure how you can argue that an art degree should be paid for out of pocket when memes are rampant across the internet. Are memes somehow subtracting from society?? Really?
Meme making is a degree level activity now? God damn…
This is my new hill to die on. At this point, I think I should have a death wish.
Art can bring joy to life. Joy brings productivity. See the issue with what you’ve stated?
Feel free to do an art degree on your own dime then.
Art will still be made and exist without degrees in it being necessary. However, doctors for example cannot.