Free College Education

Over the past few years there has been an increasing level of discussion around the cost of a college education and whether or not the cost of the first few years of school should be reduced, subsidized, or free. Companies like Starbucks, Walmart, and Disney have partnered with schools like ASU, Perdue Global, or University of Florida to offer employees free or greatly reduced tuition to help students obtain a higher education degree. In contrast, there are many free online resources providing educational services for those seeking them. Websites like Saylor.org and University of the People offer free and very low cost education options while open source textbooks like OpenStax are focusing on broadening the ability for free and or low cost educational materials. What are the pro’s and con’s of a free education.