Free Tuition for the Win

HOW CANDIDATES CAN RUN AND WIN ON

FREE COLLEGE TUITION IN 2020
#FreeTuitionFTW
Free Tuition for the Win

Free college tuition is the most popular and effective public policy any candidate for state office
can advocate. If your state doesn’t currently have any program for free college tuition, your
advocacy will find favor with voters in overwhelming numbers. If it already has such a program,
advocating for its expansion to make more potential students eligible or to increase the number of
years of free college tuition your state will offer, will also be popular. And, as we demonstrate in
this report, you can campaign on the idea confident that should your initiative become law, the
program will produce results that will continue to make it popular in your re-election campaign.

What’s in this report?

✓ DIY: How to build and present a plan for free tuition for your state in your campaign.

✓ Exclusive Polling Research: More than 75 percent of Americans support free college
tuition.

✓ Testimonials: State elected officials from around the country who have run and won on
free college tuition.

✓ Answers to Tough Questions: Why should tuition be free and who will pay for it?

About this Report

Free Tuition for the Win is a report for candidates running for state elected office by The Campaign
for Free College Tuition. In our research, we solicited the input and feedback of candidates,
campaign managers, experts in higher education policy, students, and more. The Campaign for
Free College Tuition is a national, bipartisan nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to making
college tuition free in all fifty states. For additional resources as you build your free tuition plan or
just to learn more, check out our detailed policy briefing book, available free on our website at
www.freecollegenow.org/briefing_book or get in touch with us directly.

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 Polling: Free Tuition By the Numbers

MEMO TO CANDIDATES
TO: Candidates for Governor and State Offices in 2020
FROM: Jack MacKenzie, President, The CollegeAPP; Senior Research Advisor, CFCT
CC: Other Interested Parties

The 2020 Presidential campaign is creating national discourse on a flood of issues ranging from health care to
early childhood education to a host of higher education cost and access related issues. Through it all, the
concept and policy proposal of universal free college tuition remains a popular priority with the electorate and
promises to be a winning issue for candidates of either political party.

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Staking out a position on offering free college tuition to qualified students in your state will give candidates an
issue that, although it has definite demographic and political skews, transcends traditional dividing lines of race,
gender, and age.

CFCT’s most recent polling conducted by PSB Research in January 2020, shows 77% of adults support their state
offering free college tuition to qualified students – sustaining the trend of overwhelming support that has lasted
over the three years CFCT has polled on the issue. An important note for candidates is the gradual and consistent
increase in Strong support among men. Since we started polling in 2016, overall support among men has
modestly increased from 72% to 75% – but those who say they Strongly Support free college has increased from
34% to 48%.

With that widespread demographic support, not surprisingly, political support is also uniformly positive.
Democrats clearly have the strongest level of support – with more than 6 in 10 saying they Strongly Support free
college. Among people who identify and lean Republican, support for the issue registered at 62% with nearly
one-third of GOP identifiers strongly supporting free college in their state. Importantly for candidates from both
parties, 77% of Independents support free college tuition for qualified candidates.

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SPENDING PRIORITIES

Candidates who campaign on free college tuition will be able to do so with confidence. Not only do American’s
support the concept, they also believe the policy should be a spending priority in their state.

In the January 2020 poll, survey respondents were shown a list of nine program areas that might be considered
for new funding at the state level. They were then asked to choose which programs should receive that new
funding. The programs they considered were:

• Free two-year tuition

• Free four-year tuition
• Prisons
• Healthcare
• Preschool education
• K-12 education
• Roads & Bridges
• Parks and Natural resources
• Public transportation

Across the board, free two- year and four-year tuition passed this comparative test of support. While health care
is clearly the top priority in this campaign season, free college tuition, along with K-12 education, captured the
next three spots in priority. As noted above, men ranked free two-year tuition as their top non-health care
spending priority.

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Although the youngest voting block shows strong affinity for free four-year education, free two-year college
tuition is the top non-health care priority among all Americans over the age of 45. Free two-year tuition is also
the #2 priority among Republicans and third among Americans who identify as Independent.
The prioritization of free two-year college is important to note. CFCT has seen the gradual and steady increase in
support for this issue since we started polling in 2016. While each state has unique economic and political
dynamics, there is notable momentum among Americans for the prioritization of post-high school training and
education, with two-year schools seeming to be the most appealing entry to a free college state-wide offering.
The overall increase has been driven by men and voters over the age of 45, with significant increase in support by
voters over the age of 65, the most consistent voting block.

HOW TO MESSAGE FREE COLLEGE TUITION

Candidates have a variety of options when making the case for free college as a campaign issue. Messaging
tested and evaluated by CFCT strongly suggests the most effective messages focuses on the benefits accrued to
the individuals and families who access such programs. Although messages about the broader community or
statewide economic benefits tend to dominate state Capitol debates, such messages are less effective at
persuading average Americans to support the program.

In the three times CFCT has tested various messages, one message has consistently ranked as both the most
believable and most persuasive.

• Lack of money shouldn't keep qualified students from going to college, and my state government should
help.

This message captures both the identification of a key barrier as well as support of the policy position that the
state government has a role in helping. Starting with this simple message is the best way to communicate the
issue on websites and other campaign material.

Other messages that will resonate with voters include:

• We need to make college free so young people don't have a mountain of debt when they finish school.
• Free college tuition will strengthen our nation by providing people the tools they need to provide for their
families.

Our messaging research also suggests a specific policy decision that could pay benefits to a candidate’s free
college plan. The inclusion of adults, not just high school seniors, in a free college plan is considered persuasive
by a strong majority of Americans. The message below ranked in the top half of all messages tested.

• Free college tuition allows adults without a college degree to obtain the education necessary for a better
paying job.

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FREE COLLEGE PROGRAM ACCESS

The inclusion of adults is consistent with another critically important component to a free-college plan –
universal access. Although it has been popular among candidates to offer restrictions such as family income to
free-college plans, Americans believe that any program should be offered across-the-board to all people who
qualify.

It is important for candidates to realize that a plurality of demographic groups identify with the phrase that free
college plans should be available to all students, regardless of family income.

SUMMARY

The national debate on free college tuition has seemed to focus Americans on both the benefits and the need for
such programs. Candidates who stake out a position that their state should make post-high school education
free promises to bring bi-partisan support to the discussion of what most Americans consider to be a high
priority issue for their state government to deal with.

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Free Tuition 101

Why you should fight for free college tuition

Free college tuition is a powerful solution to a major problem facing our country.

Our economy is at a tipping point. Workers and families are struggling. Jobs that once provided a
reliable path to the middle class are threatened by automation and stagnating wages.

The new economic reality means higher education—whether it’s a technical credential, an
Associate’s degree, or a Bachelor’s degree—is essential to earning a good job. Bureau of Labor
Statistics data show Americans with college degrees accounted for all the net new jobs created
over the last decade. In stark contrast, the number of Americans with high school diplomas or less
who were employed has fallen by nearly three million since The Great Recession.

Unfortunately, in 41 states, lawmakers are spending less per postsecondary student today than
before the Great Recession.1 Students are – in many cases – being asked to make up the difference
through increased tuition and fees.

According to the College Board, average tuition and fees tripled at public four-year and more than
doubled at public two-year and private nonprofit four-year institutions between 1989-90 and
2019-20 after adjusting for inflation.2 But when local and state governments make college tuition
free, good things happen.

In the first year of the Tennessee Promise, enrollment in the state’s community colleges increased
by 24.7% and by 20% in their colleges of applied technology (TCAT). The percentage of black
students increased from 14% to 19% and the share of Hispanic students went up from 4% to 5%.

In Rhode Island, where Governor Gina Raimondo made free college tuition a centerpiece of her
policy agenda in 2017, enrollment at the Community College of Rhode Island increased by 47
percent in the first year students could attend without paying tuition.3 According to the
Community College of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Promise has had a particularly positive
impact on the enrollment of both low-income students and students of color.

1 https://www.cbpp.org/research/state-budget-and-tax/state-higher-education-funding-cuts-have-pushed-costs-to-students
2 https://research.collegeboard.org/trends/college-pricing/highlights
3 http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20170921/ccri-enrollments-up-47-under-new-free-tuition-program

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According to the findings of a UNLV survey on the implementation of the first year of the Nevada
Promise Scholarship (NPS), 57% of student respondents said the Promise Scholarship influenced
their decision to attend college. In addition, 69% of Hispanic NPS applicants and 68% of first-
generation NPS applicants said the Promise program influenced their decision to attend college.4

These are just a few examples of why free college tuition is not just good politics, but also the right
thing to do for students and their families. Keep digging into this report for more on how to run
and win on free college tuition in 2020.

4 https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/80th2019/ExhibitDocument/OpenExhibitDocument?exhibitId=38602&fileDo
wnloadName=SB350_Presentation_Nevada%20Promise%20Scholarship_Dr.%20E.%20Lee%20Bernick.pdf

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The Case for Free Tuition

How to make the case for free college tuition

The Economic Case: The Road to the American Dream Runs Through College
Free college tuition is an important investment in the American economy as well as its future. A
college degree or a high quality postsecondary certificate is now required to compete in the 21st
century economy. At all levels, a college education adds to workers’ lifetime earnings, and
protects them from economic shocks such as a recession or transitions resulting from
automation. By making public colleges and universities tuition-free, we can help more Americans
earn a college degree and live the American Dream.

If we don’t, the results from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission study of their 2007
cohort of high school freshman suggests a much bleaker economic future for those who go to
work directly out of high school. Those Tennessee high school students had only a $9,030 annual
income and only a 16% chance of earning above the minimum wage.

How College Attainment Improves Earnings over a Lifetime (Georgetown CEW)5

5 https://cew.georgetown.edu/

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The Educational Case: Free Tuition Helps Students Succeed
When educators and lawmakers build strong free tuition programs, they can increase college
graduation rates and reduce average student loan debt. Free college tuition is enabling more
students to go to college tuition free in blue, red and purple states all across the country. In 2020,
more than one out of every four high school seniors will have the opportunity to go to community
college tuition free when they graduate. And over one million students are already attending
college tuition free. Even more students will succeed when state lawmakers make public colleges
and universities tuition-free.

The Ethical Case: Free Public Higher Education is a Universal Right

Free college tuition opens the door for every student to earn a college degree and pursue their
dreams. Each and every student deserves the opportunity to learn the knowledge and skills that
they need to contribute to our democracy, economy, and society—and in the 21st century that
means a college degree. A student’s effort and talent, not their income and wealth, should
determine their success in college and beyond. Furthermore, higher education is a public good
that benefits all of us. By making public colleges and universities tuition free, we can uphold our
obligation to future generations to make sure they have better opportunities than generations
past.

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States are Leading the Way on Free College
Tuition

“Tuition-free community college is one of the lowest-cost, highest-impact investments the

State of Rhode Island has ever made.”
Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo (D) in her 2019 State of the State Address

“Haslam saw [free college] as the quickest, most surefire way to get people – especially those who
had never considered college – talking about it. It had to make a splash – even if it meant running
up against political resistance from his own party.”
“We wanted it to be an easy thing to sell and describe,” Haslam said. “If I say, ‘Well, it’s free
unless your income’s above this level,’ or, ‘it’s free unless you make a 2.5 GPA’ … Free was
an easy discussion so we could say, ‘If you walk across that high school stage, then you could
go to college free.’ And that was a conversation we wanted people to have around their
dinner tables.”
Former Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam (R) on the Tennessee Promise in The Red State that Loves
Free College
Politico, January 16, 2019

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“We want to make a really loud and clear statement to everyone in Tennessee: 'No matter
who you are, no matter what your education path has been in the past, no matter what your
income level is, you can go to college for free in Tennessee.’”
Former Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam (R) discussing the Tennessee Reconnect Act at Motlow
State Community College
Tennessean, May 24, 2017

“As college education costs continue to rise, we need to protect our students from financial
harm and provide businesses with the skilled workforce they need to succeed. This is an
incredible resource that will create a new educational pathway and opportunity for so many
students. I'm grateful to my colleagues in the legislature and in the CSCU system for making
affordable higher education a reality for thousands of students."
Connecticut State Senator Will Haskell at the launch of the Pledge to Advance Connecticut – the
state’s tuition-free community college program
Patch, December 19, 2019

“Senate Bill 1 provides an innovative, cost-effective method of assisting traditional and

nontraditional students with ‘last dollar in’ financial support for obtaining an associate’s
degree or advanced training certification for careers in high demand within our state. With
that focus, this program will catapult West Virginia to national prominence in the area of
workforce training by providing our citizens with an opportunity to gain or enhance a skill
set that can be put to use right away.”
Op-ed by West Virginia Senate President Mitch Carmichael on 2019 legislation establishing the
West Virginia Invests Grant Program
Charleston Gazette-Mail, April 25, 2019

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Our Momentum

As of today, over half of the states on our momentum map are green! This unprecedented level of activity
makes it clear that free college is gaining strong momentum as a smart bipartisan policy and that states
will continue to play an important role in eliminating cost as a barrier to attaining postsecondary
education.

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Answering Tough Questions

How to address common concerns about free college tuition

Nothing is “free.” Who is really going to pay for it?

Free college tuition is an investment. Making public colleges and universities free will mean more
college graduates with less student debt, a stronger economy, a better educated citizenry, and a
broader tax base to support future generations of students. Additionally, the federal government
will help pay for it. Because recipients of free college tuition “last dollar” programs are required to
complete an application for a Federal Pell Grant (FASFA) to pay for their tuition, every state that
has enacted such programs has seen a dramatic rise in the number of students applying for and
receiving a Pell Grant, generating money the state does not have to use to make their tuition free.
This new influx of federal dollars helps to offset the cost of educating each new student.

Tuition is only a part of the problem. What about non-tuition costs?

College tuition is not really free if students become homeless, hungry, or fall tens of thousands of
dollars into debt just to earn a degree. Free tuition programs should be accompanied by other
reforms such as incenting the use of Open Educational Resources (OER), which provide high
quality, zero cost textbooks to students. Programs that offer supplemental resources for students
to help cover other costs of attending college (COA) such as room and board, can also be
integrated into the support services colleges should be offering their students, particularly those
who are the first in their family to attend college. Innovative programs, such as Tennessee’s
mentoring program or the Detroit Promise’s use of $50 monthly cash payments to students who
meet with their counselors, can be designed to help ensure students receive adequate support
and counseling to graduate.

Won’t free college tuition just create a government subsidy for rich kids?
Free college tuition programs are designed to make sure students who might not otherwise enroll
in college do so because the fear of being unable to afford it has been taken away. In 2016, two-
thirds of community college students, or their families, had an annual income less than $50,000.
Each state can design their own program to help middle-class and low-income students succeed
in college and beyond. To this end, we can do better than the current “high-tuition-high-aid”
system, by moving to a free tuition program with easily understood eligibility criteria.

Rhode Island’s free college program had a positive impact on the enrollment of both low-income
students and students of color. According to the Community College of Rhode Island, first-time

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full-time students from low-income families more than doubled from 527 in the fall of 2016
(before free tuition) to 1,280 in the fall of 2018.

The total student loan debt market is now more $1.5 trillion. What about that?
The best way to stop the explosion in student loan debt is to lower the price of college for current
students. We also need to do more to encourage graduates to take advantage of existing
programs such as income-based repayments and public service loan forgiveness. States can play
an important role in helping students overcome debt, so that they have more resources to buy a
home or start a new business.

What is the partisan makeup of states with free college tuition programs?
On the state level, Tennessee, which has a Republican governor and legislature, and Oregon, with
a Democratic Governor and legislature, were the first to implement state-wide Promise Programs.
Since then, red, blue, and purple states around the nation have enacted the policy with
overwhelming bipartisan support. In 2019, Mitch Carmichael, the President of the West Virginia
State Senate, gained unanimous support from the state’s Republican majority legislature to make
community colleges tuition free for certain courses of study that would help create a more skilled
workforce. Similarly, in the Democratic-controlled State of Connecticut, the leaders of the
legislature’s Joint Higher Education Committee – State Representative Greg Haddad and State
Senator Will Haskell – spearheaded the passage of legislation making their community colleges
tuition free starting in the Fall of 2020.

Who supports free college tuition?

Everyone. In the twelve times Campaign for Free College Tuition polled on free college tuition
since December 2016, overall support of state programs making public colleges tuition-free has
ranged from 71 to 81 percent. In a January 2020 poll, tuition-free college was embraced across all
political and demographic lines as evidenced by 62 percent of Republicans, 77 percent of
Independents and 89 percent of Democrats supporting their state providing free college tuition to
academically qualified students.

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Now It’s Your Turn

What it takes to build a free college tuition plan in five easy

steps

1. START WITH STUDENTS: Leverage this opportunity to build real relationships with students
by asking them what they need and how you can help. Go beyond the usual suspects (e.g.,
party-affiliated clubs) in your outreach, so that you cast a wide net and hear diverse
perspectives. What you learn will play an important role in shaping your approach to free
tuition, and strategy for youth engagement during the campaign.

2. CONSIDER YOUR CONTEXT: Local challenges call for local solutions. You know your state
better than anyone, and you should use that knowledge to design a solid free tuition plan.
Whether you need more skilled manufacturing workers or more people with Bachelor’s
degrees, free college tuition is a powerful tool for enrolling more students, revitalizing
colleges, and solving local challenges.

3. PICK YOUR PLAN: Many states have enacted free college tuition programs, so there is likely an
existing template for a strong free tuition plan in your state. If not, take advantage of
resources such as the Campaign for Free College Tuition’s Briefing Book for State Leaders
(www.freecollegenow.org/briefing_book) to outline an effective plan.

4. ASK FOR FEEDBACK: Once you have chosen a plan, ask for feedback from key stakeholders
such as campaign supporters, educators, parents, and students. The purpose of this feedback
is not to address each and every concern about the proposal, but to test the idea with close
supporters and constituencies. If necessary, use this “dry run” to tweak your plan as needed
and plan your roll out.

5. MAKE A SPLASH: Across the country, support for free college tuition is earning headlines.
Organize an event, press conference, and social media moment to announce your support for free
college tuition to maximize the reach and impact of your work. Incorporating students’ voices into
the announcement will help validate your proposal and energize young supporters around your
campaign.

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APPENDIX 1: Promise Program Impacts

Tennessee Promise

College Enrollment
• In the first year of the Tennessee Promise, enrollment in the state’s community colleges increased
by 24.7% and by 20% in their colleges of applied technology (TCAT). Overall, there was a 10.1%
increase in the number of students in the state’s institutions of higher education.
• Overall, the statewide rate of college enrollment by high school graduates increased by 4.6
percentage points, from 57.9 to 62.5 percent. This single-year increase was larger than the past 7
years combined (2007 to 2014). Approximately 4,000 additional students entered into some type
of higher education institution in the first year of the Tennessee Promise.
• Enrollment of Tennessee Promise students at Promise-eligible institutions has increased with
each cohort, from 16,207 in Cohort 1 to 18,054 in Cohort 4.
• In the first year of Tennessee Promise, community colleges saw a substantial increase in first-time
freshmen (FTF) enrollment and universities saw a moderate decline. These trends have largely
leveled off. Compared to fall 2014, FTF enrollment in fall 2017 was up by 12.4% overall, with the
increase distributed across all sectors.
• The racial composition of students at the state’s community colleges also shifted after the
Tennessee Promise was put in place. The percentage of black students increased from 14% to
19% and the share of Hispanic students went up from 4% to 5%. The percentage of white students
enrolled in community colleges declined from 74% to 70%.
• Over time, Tennessee Promise students have become slightly more diverse in terms of race and
ethnicity, with a smaller share of white students and a larger share of African American and
Hispanic students in Cohort 3 compared to Cohort 1. Specifically, white students comprised 77%
of Cohort 1 students and 71.8% of Cohort 3 students. African American students comprised 12% of
Cohort 1 students and 13.3% of Cohort 3 students. Similarly, Hispanic students increased from 3.5
to 4.1 percent from Cohort 1 to Cohort 3.
• The Tennessee Promise has also brought more federal dollars in support of higher education into
their state through its focus on FAFSA completion as a condition for becoming a Tennessee
Promise scholar. As a result, the FAFSA filing rate in Tennessee has increased over the last four
years (2015 – 2018) and was 79.4% in 2018. Tennessee has led the nation in FAFSA filing since the
implementation of Tennessee Promise.

College Persistence
• The Year 1 to Year 2 retention rate for the first cohort of the Tennessee Promise was 65.8%,
including the 5.1% of students who completed a credential prior to fall 2016.

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• The second cohort had a slightly better 67.4% Year 1 to Year 2 retention rate, including the 4.8% of
students earning a credential prior to Fall 2017.

College Completion
• The overall success rate for the first cohort of Tennessee Promise who enrolled in one of the
state’s 13 community colleges was 52.2%. This means over half the students who enrolled in 2015
earned a degree or certificate, transferred, or were still enrolled after five semesters.
• The success rate for first cohort Promise students was higher than for non-Promise peers. After
four semesters of eligibility, 14.5% of Promise students at community colleges had earned a
degree or certificate, compared to 5.5% of non-Promise students.

Note: Additional data can be obtained at:

• https://www.tn.gov/thec/research/redirect-research/tn-promise-annual-report.html
• https://www.tbr.edu/sites/tbr.edu/files/media/2018/03/TN-Promise-
2015_Executive%20Summary%20and%20Slides_Jan2018.pdf

Rhode Island Promise

College Enrollment
• Rhode Island’s Promise has more than doubled the enrollment of full-time Community College of
Rhode Island (CCRI) students directly from high school. According to President Megan Hughes,
more than 1,400 such students enrolled in the Fall 2017 semester, compared to 950 the previous
year.
• There was an even greater percentage growth among first-time, full-time student enrollment
straight from high schools (FTFTHS) receiving Federal Pell Grants (54%). This growth brought $3.6
million in federal Pell grants to support the first Rhode Island Promise class
• CCRI saw a 62% increase in FTFTHS students of color due to the first cohort of the Rhode Island
Promise.
• The second cohort of the Rhode Island Promise also had a positive impact on the enrollment of
both low-income students and students of color. According to Sara Enright, CCRI Vice President
for Student Affairs, first-time full-time students from low-income families more than doubled from
527 in the fall of 2016 (before free tuition) to 1,280 in the fall of 2018. Similarly, the enrollment
numbers for first-time full-time students of color have nearly tripled from 355 in 2016 to 936 in
2018.

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College Persistence
• The Fall Year 1 to the Fall Year 2 retention rate for the first Rhode Island Promise cohort was 62%.
• Rhode Island Promise also dramatically increased the number of students at the Community
College of Rhode Island on-track to graduate within a two-year time frame from 6% to 22%.

Note: Additional information on Rhode Island’s Promise can be found at:

• http://www.freecollegenow.org/rhode_island_promise
• http://www.ccri.edu/president/PromiseUpdate.html

Nevada Promise
• According to the findings of a UNLV survey on the implementation of the first year of the Nevada
Promise Scholarship (NPS), 57% of student respondents said the Promise Scholarship influenced
their decision to attend college. In addition, 69% of Hispanic NPS applicants and 68% of first-
generation NPS applicants said the Promise program influenced their decision to attend college.
• Additionally, 8% of Nevada Promise applicants did not intend to go to college before they heard
about the scholarship.

Note: Additional information can be obtained at:

• https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/80th2019/ExhibitDocument/OpenExhibitDocument?exhi
bitId=38602&fileDownloadName=SB350_Presentation_Nevada%20Promise%20Scholarship_Dr.%20
E.%20Lee%20Bernick.pdf
• https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/80th2019/ExhibitDocument/OpenExhibitDocument?exhi
bitId=38692&fileDownloadName=SB350_Research%20Brief_Dr.%20E.%20Lee%20Bernick.pdf

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