Kantrowitz remains hopeful the nation will muster the “political will and insight” to move forward on tuition-free initiatives because they have strong bipartisan support. Tennessee, which instituted free community college in 2015, has voted Republican in all but two of the last 10 presidential elections (1992 and 1996).
The idea of free universal college isn’t new. California’s community colleges were free until the mid 1980s and about two-dozen countries provide free or nearly free college tuition, notes Kantrowitz. Of course, “Free college tuition isn’t free college,” he says, noting that students are often still responsible for fees, room and board, books and other expenses. But as he sees it, it’s a good start.