UCI Economics Policy Free Education Memo

The memo:

You are the Democratic Chair of the U.S. House Education Committee, and Bernie Sanders had just been elected President. One of his first bills is to make public college and university tuition free in the United States, by fully financing tuition for any student attending a public college or university in the United States with a new federal program. You are preparing an opening statement for hearings on the bill. You want to appear even-handed, and hence need to discuss both the pros and cons of the proposal, before stating and explaining your own opinion on the bill. You are somewhat constrained because you represent the same (Democratic) party as President Sanders; but you are not obliged to fully support the details of his proposal.

Your memo will discuss both what economic theory and the evidence says about the question. As much as possible, back up your arguments with data and evidence.