2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: On opening college education for all who can benefit [View all]Hav
(5,969 posts)There are some legitimate points raised against free college but wouldn't most of us agree that it is a good goal? As Europe was mentioned here, let me provide my perspective. I absolutely enjoyed going to university for almost nothing. For a time, there was this new and unpopular fee of 500 Euros per semester but usually it was only around 100 Euros with free public transportation included. I also got monthly support, a kind of a loan, from the state. You only have to pay back half of this loan (no interest rates btw) and even less for repaying it early. In the end, I saved almost an additional 20% of the half I had to pay back. I don't mind that my taxes pay to provide this opportunity for the next generation. I also know that many fellow students struggled financially and couldn't have gone to university without this setup.
I have an affinity for the US and been there a couple of times. I loved it. But if I lived there, what would worry me is healthcare and should I have kids, how to pay for their education.