Back in the mid-19th century, college in the United States was free. The Morrill Act of 1862 established land grant institutions. States would build colleges on government ground so that residents could get a free education.

Unfortunately, times have changed!

By negating the large bill of a college education, we could see an increase in the number of students able to attend college. This then creates a more well-educated workforce and a population that has better critical thinking skills. This could lead to more innovation in all areas of society.

Some students drop out because they do not have the ability to pay for tuition all four years. Getting rid of tuition would eliminate this reason for not graduating. This would also serve to improve college graduation rates, as fewer students would feel the need to drop to part-time status or take a break from education for financial reasons. If an American college student is able to graduate with less than $10,000 in student loan debt, they are considered lucky (the average is $37,000). However, students from other countries that don’t have tuition already have that luxury; most of their loans come from living expenses and books. Without the weight of student loan debt, more college graduates might buy houses rather than renting apartments. They might buy cars, spend more on healthy food, travel more: In essence, they could contribute more to the economy.

Whether it is the influence of parents or knowing you need to pay loans back as quickly as possible, current students are often guided toward “practical” majors that have a more lucrative post-graduation income. If shelling out thousands upon thousands of dollars is no longer a factor, parents and students might feel more relaxed about studying for majors that don’t necessarily have a large paycheck associated with them. Interest and enjoyment from a field of study goes a long way in helping students stick with it and avoid burning out.

By negating the large bill of a college education, we could see an increase in the number of students able to attend college. This then creates a more well-educated workforce and a population that has better critical thinking skills. This could lead to more innovation in all areas of society.