Complications appear to be bogging down the “free college”
movement, particularly in New York. An August report from the Center for an Urban
Future found that just 3.2% of the undergraduates statewide received an
Excelsior Scholarship.
The program requires students to earn at least 30 credits
every year of enrollment, which proved to be the main reason students applying
for the funds were rejected. According to the report, 43,513 of the 63,599
scholarship applications in 2018 were rejected, with more than 36,000 denied because
of insufficient credits.
“Admittedly, it’s still early days for the program, so
the numbers may drift upwards a bit,” Matt Reed, vice president for learning,
Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, NJ, wrote in his Confessions of a Community College Dean column for Inside
Higher Ed.
“But with complicated paperwork requirements, an extraordinarily high credit
requirement, and a postgraduation residency requirement in place, it’s not
surprising that the impact has been minimal.”
To Reed, the more complicated the program, the fewer resources
it will receive. Free colleges should be simple and transparent, not screening
people out.
“Beat
the program with a simple stick,” he continued. “Get rid of income caps, postgraduate
residency requirements, and unrealistic credit requirements. Over time, make it
as free, open, and easy to use as a public library. The future is worth it.”
