Bernie Sanders is not alone in the fight for education for all. Many nations in Europe offer a close to or completely free college education to its people. College is free in Sweden, Denmark, and Finland. In France, public universities are free for students from lower-income families while wealthier families pay about $200 a year. In 2005, Germany introduced tuition. In the eight years after this change, every state in Germany abolished tuition which John Weiner believes has two causes; “protest and politics”. Immediately after the change, students made their opinion quite clear. In Hamburg, they organized a fee strike while in Frankfurt, they occupied universities with the support of a petition with 70,000 signatures. Wiener argues that if conservative leaders in Germany can be pressured into eliminating tuition, why can’t Democrats in the U.S. do the same? Already young students are beginning to make their voices be heard as many are flocking to rallies for free tuition. Just last fall, college students from all over the country rallied to protest student debt for the Million Student March where they demanded a cancellation of all student debt, tuition-free public college, and a $15 minimum wage for campus workers (USA Today).
However, these progressive ideas come with many opponents who argue the feasibility of such demands. For decades, the focus of government policy has been subsidizing to bring price down. Kevin James of US News argues that a better approach would be to making it cost less to deliver the same education because the status-quo is appearing to fail us anyways. For example, four in 10 Americans agree that colleges are changing to “better meet the needs of today’s students.” Additionally, only 13 percent of respondents felt that college graduates are “well-prepared for success in the workforce” (James).
Bernie Sander's Plan Logistics
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