Free College Tuition:
An Annotated Bibliography
L. Emily Benford
ENGL 111 – H2H
Prof. Marshall
November 5, 2015
Free College Tuition: An Annotated Bibliography
Belkin, D. (2015, May 21). Student debt is hot topic for 2016 presidential field. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://www.wsj.com
Summary – In this political article in The Wall Street Journal, Belkin discusses the relevance of free college and student debt in the current election. He explains that there is a sense of urgency to do something about the out of control cost of college and the outrages student debt of those that have graduated. The article Student Debt Is Hot Topic for 2016 Field touches on a different ideas to solve this problem by opposing political sides and by individual politicians and presidential candidates.
Evaluation – This article is from a newspaper. It was written this year. The author is a journalist named Douglas Belkin. This article does not necessarily express the authors opinions however it could be assumed that he is pro free college by his tone. The tone focuses on the seriousness of student debt and the urgency for a need to resolve these problems. The article was written to inform the reader of a current issue that is popular among candidates in the current campaigning for president.
Reflection – This article does fit into my research well as it discusses some different ideas along with the free college tuition. I will reference this article as it highlights the issue as a hot topic. The source was helpful. It helps me shape my argument in that it validates the importance of the topic. It makes me ask what specific options are there to accomplish the problem of rising college tuition. How can we make college as debt free as possible?
Blumenstyk, G. (2014, June 20). Deep in the shadow of student debt, an idea takes root: Free college. Chronicle of Higher Education, 60(39), A15. Retrieved from
Summary – This article was written by Goldie Blumenstyk. It is an article in an online newspaper. This article talks a little about the history of this idea of free college. It talks about some opposing viewpoints too. Overall the tone is pro free college. Basically this article is saying that because of student debt, this issue of free college is gaining momentum…again. Will something come of it this time? That is the question asked in this article. The article recognizes a few programs that are in existence now for free college and talks about how they go about paying for the tuition and what are some of the stipulations to qualify.
Evaluation – This article was written in the Chronicle of Higher Education which is a weekly newspaper intended for university level educational professionals. The document was written in 2014. The article discusses the colossal talk of paying for our kid’s college. The purpose of the article is mainly to inform the reader of free college as a solution to this problem.
Reflection – This article fits well into my research because it relates free college to student debt and it also discusses some existing programs for free college and how they work to compare. One of the ways I can use this article in my research is to help explain the different ways to pay for the free college program. Therefore I do intend to use this article.
Bruenig, M. (2015). The case against free college. Dissent, 62(4), 112-114. Retrieved from http://indianapolis.libproxy.ivytech.edu.allstate.libproxy.ivytech.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com.indianapolis.libproxy.ivytech.edu.allstate.libproxy.ivytech.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=109491373&site=ehost-live
Summary – In this article the author, Matt Bruenig, explains the case against free college. The article is titled The Case against Free College. He thinks that it would only end up giving far more money to students from richer families than to poorer families. He admits that it might encourage more poor and middle class people to go to college or to attend more expensive institutions.
Evaluation – This is an article written in Dissent magazine. It is a recent article published fall 2015. The author is Matt Bruenig. He is a writer who researches poverty, inequality, and welfare systems. As it stands the wealthier kids are the ones who end up much more likely to go to college. Will this free college program really change all that? I mean regardless the richer kids end up doing better in high school and so going on to college because they have two parents. They have more opportunity to focus on school. They are more likely to have a clean, safe, quiet place to study. Educated parents can and do help them with their homework and have the means to provide for enough for them so that they do not have to work. All these things are not going to change just because someone presents the opportunity to pay their tuition doesn’t mean they will do better in high school in order to meet the pre requisites to qualify for this free tuition. It would encourage some to do better knowing they will have that opportunity but I just can’t help but wonder if it would be enough of an impact to justify the funds. I will use this article.
Reflection – I will use this article because reading it did actually make me see a point opposing my argument for free college that I had not thought of before. The article fits into my research as an opposing view. It makes me ask the question, how can we provide free college and make sure we don’t exclude those that need it most.