MARCH CON BLOCKS
HAWKEN SCHOOL
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents
Solvency ........................................................................................................................................................................... 2
A2: Access .................................................................................................................................................................... 2
A2: All you need is access ....................................................................................................................................... 5
Economy .......................................................................................................................................................................... 7
A2: Outsourcing ......................................................................................................................................................... 7
A2: Econ Growth ........................................................................................................................................................ 9
A2: Job Prospects Improve ..................................................................................................................................11
A2: STEM Jobs ...........................................................................................................................................................13
A2: Student Loans ...................................................................................................................................................15
A2: Reduced Income Inequality .........................................................................................................................17
Degrees .......................................................................................................................................................................... 19
A2: Persistence ........................................................................................................................................................19
A2: Degree Attainment..........................................................................................................................................21
A2: 4 Year Transfer ................................................................................................................................................25
A2: Improved Quality ............................................................................................................................................28
Plans................................................................................................................................................................................ 31
A2: Tennessee ..........................................................................................................................................................31
A2: Obama’s Plan ....................................................................................................................................................33
Communal Gains ......................................................................................................................................................... 35
A2: Volunteerism ....................................................................................................................................................35
A2: Decreased Crime..............................................................................................................................................37
A2: Democracy .........................................................................................................................................................39
A2: Health ..................................................................................................................................................................41
Indicts ............................................................................................................................................................................. 43
A2: Gates Foundation ............................................................................................................................................43
A2: Stuart Butler......................................................................................................................................................45
A2: Light Study .........................................................................................................................................................47
A2: Denning Study ..................................................................................................................................................48
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Solvency
A2: Access
1. Pell grants already solve for the issues that the pro team tries to mend
 (Megan McArdle – Bloomberg View): “you automatically qualify for a Pell Grant if your family income is less than
$24,000 a year, and many others qualify above that line). Libby Nelson offers the wan defense that universal
programs may enjoy greater support than those targeted at the poor, which would be more compelling if
community college weren't already basically free for low-income families.”
 (Valerie Strauss – The Washington Post): Because of their targeted nature “a better way to spend that $60 billion
would be to expand the existing federal Pell Grant program and empower students with greater resources to
choose the college best for them.”
1. Tuition only accounts for 1/5 of the total cost of a typical community college education.
 (Stuart Butler – Brookings Institution): “free tuition would account for only about one-fifth of [the total costs.]”
 (Allie Bidwell – US News): “the U.S. Public Interest Research Group found the average student spends as much as
$1,200 each year on textbooks and supplies alone.”

2. There aren’t enough seats for increased participation in community college.
 (Chris Stigall – CBS): “you’re going to put them in a junior college that gets overloaded. There are not enough
seats for that kind of participation in state’s junior college system.”
3. Students go into college, and aren’t prepared.
 (Andrew Kelly – Forbes): “Not, say, the fact that somewhere around 50-60 percent of community college
students are not college-ready, or that many community colleges are not designed with student success in
mind.”
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R1a – Pell Grants already solve for the kids that can’t afford tuition (Megan McArdle – Bloomberg View)
McArdle (Bloomberg View). Obama’s College Plan Bows to Elits. Accessed 3/5/2015. Published 1/12/2015.
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-01-12/obamas-college-plan-bows-to-elites.
The major barriers to completing college do not include community-college tuition, which is low for everyone, and basically
free for low-income families (you automatically qualify for a Pell Grant if your family income is less than $24,000 a year, and
many others qualify above that line). Libby Nelson offers the wan defense that universal programs may enjoy greater
support than those targeted at the poor, which would be more compelling if community college weren't already basically
free for low-income families.
R1b – Pell Grants More Targetted (Strauss – Washington Post)
Valerie Strauss “The problem(s) with Obama’s community college plan—and an alternative” The Washington Post 8 Feb 2015 PDF (This is excerpted
from a post by Carolyn Ash , also writing in the Post)
Notwithstanding the implicit premise that community college students are not as motivated as others in the first place, a
White House spokesperson estimated a price tag of $60 billion over 10 years with three quarters of the program financed
by the federal government and the remaining quarter by participating state governments. However, a better way to spend
that $60 billion would be to expand the existing federal Pell Grant program and empower students with greater
resources to choose the college best for them. The maximum amount of a Pell Grant award today is just under $6,000 a
year. Average community college tuition is approximately $4,000, not including the cost of additional fees, books,
transportation, food, child care (if applicable) and other expenditures. The president’s proposed “America’s College
Promise” is of no added value to our least privileged students. They are already eligible for free tuition at community
colleges via the current Pell Grant program. Thus the president’s plan would primarily subsidize the community college
tuition of more well-off students.
R2a – Tuition only represents 1/5 of the cost of community college (Stuart Butler – Brookings Institution)
Butler (Brookings Institution). Obama’s SOTU Free College Plan is Bad for Poor Americans. Accessed 3/5/2015. Published 1/20/2015.
http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2015/01/20-obama-free-community-college-bad-idea-sotu-butler.
For one, the plan is badly targeted. Covering the full tuition of all community college students would mean middle-income,
and even upper-income, students would get hefty subsidies, even though many do not need the help. Meanwhile, many
lower-income students at community colleges would still not have the money to cover the non-tuition costs, such as books,
supplies and transportation – and room and board for those not living at home. These costs usually dwarf tuition at a public
community college – annual total costs averages over $16,000, while free tuition would account for only about one-fifth of
that. True, lower-income students can qualify for Pell grants, but the maximum this year is $5,730, making community
college a financial challenge for many, even if tuition were free.
R2b – Tuition is not the real problem (Allie Bidwell – US News)
Bidwell, Allie. “Report: High Textbook Prices Have College Students Struggling.” US News, January 28 2014. <http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/01/28/reporthigh-textbook-priceshave-college-students-struggling
“The soaring cost of college textbooks is affecting students throughout the nation, to the point where some forgo
purchasing books, despite the fact their grades could be in jeopardy. In a survey of more than 2,000 college students in 33
states and 156 different campuses, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group found the average student spends as much as
$1,200 each year on textbooks and supplies alone. By comparison, the group says that's the equivalent of 39 percent of
tuition and fees at a community college, and 14 percent of tuition and fees at a four-year public university. "Students are
paying too much for textbooks, plain and simple," said Ethan Senack, a higher education associate at U.S. PIRG, in a call with
reporters. "The textbooks market is broken and students are paying the price."
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R3 – We can’t even hold increased access (Chris Stigall – CBS News)
Stigall (CBS News). Economist Chris Butler. Accessed 3/5/2015. Published 1/9/2015. http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2015/01/09/economist-chrisbutler-free-community-college-will-overload-the-system/.
With over 57,000 applicants already received by the Tennessee program, Butler is concerned about all of the negative
effects that it will have on both two and four year institutions. “It overloads the junior college system at the expense of the
four year institutions, which is why I find it absolutely unbelievable. You’re going to suck all of these kids out of the four
year institutions, that’s a problem for the four year institutions and then you’re going to put them in a junior college that
gets overloaded. There are not enough seats for that kind of participation in state’s junior college system. “
R4 – Making CCs free wouldn’t make outcomes better (Andrew Kelly – Forbes)
Kelly, Andrew. “Four Reasons To Be Skeptical About Obama's Free Community College Proposal.” Forbes, January 9 2015.
<http://www.forbes.com/sites/akelly/2015/01/09/four-reasons-to-be-skepticalabout-obamas-free-community-college-proposal/>
“Federal data show that at two-year colleges, 31 percent of first-time, full-time students graduate within three years. The
implicit assumption of free-tuition plans is that the main reason students don’t finish community college is the cost of
tuition. Not, say, the fact that somewhere around 50-60 percent of community college students are not college-ready, or
that many community colleges are not designed with student success in mind. Color me skeptical that a federally-funded
free option will solve all of these problems. To be clear: research shows that tuition prices and grant aid do influence
enrollment rates, and we’re learning more about how they influence student success. But the notion that making college
free will mechanically improve student outcomes is naïve. Take community colleges in California, where students pay the
lowest published tuition in the nation ($1,429 this year). Attendance is essentially free to many students who qualify for Pell
Grants. In a 2012 analysis, I found that retention and completion rates across California’s community colleges were above
the national average. But completion rates were even higher at two-year colleges in Wisconsin and North Dakota, where
tuition is two to three times as high and Pell Grant recipients make up a larger percentage of enrollments than in California.
A free option would almost certainly boost enrollment rates. But these cross-state outcomes do suggest that pushing
tuition to zero may not be a silver-bullet solution to lackluster student success.
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A2: All you need is access
3. The causation is non-existent. The majority of employment opportunities for vocational jobs require a certificate
 (Center for College Affordability and Productivity): 4 of the 15 associate degree jobs require an associate’s
degree, 8 require job specific training, and 3 require a post-secondary vocational award. In the majority of job
opportunities, completion of education is basically necessary. Overall, you either need a community college
education, or you need to gain on the job training. Gaining some education and then dropping out does not
garner any benefits.
4. This notion is not true in general and the many nuances of community college education prevent those who dropout
from gaining employment.
 (Clive Belfield – City University of New York): the more specialized the skill, the more a student needs to
complete their education. For example, he finds that in nursing it is almost impossible to become hired when the
student drops out because the nursing market required expertise.
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R1 – Most of jobs that are accessible to community college students require a degree, and those that don’t
need on the job training (Center for College Affordability and Productivity)
[Author] (Center for College Affordabillity and Productivity). [Website Title]. Accessed [Date]. Published [Date]. [URL].
Second, of the thirty fastest growing occupations listed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only half actually require higher
than a two-year degree.6 Four of the remaining fifteen require an associate’s degree as a prerequisite for employment,
eight require on-the-job training, and three require a postsecondary vocational award. Examples of positions available
without a fouryear degree include medical assistants, veterinary technicians, and dental hygienists.
R2 – The more specialized one is in relation to a degree, it is more important to finish college (Clive Belfield–
City College of New York)
Belfield (City College of New York). [Website Title]. Accessed [Date]. Published [Date]. [URL].
“The more specific the skill, the bigger the risk if you don’t complete,” he said. One surprising finding of the study was that
there wasn’t any evidence that progression mattered. Students who were farther along in a specific course of study were
no better off than students who simply earned a collection of general college credits. In fact, after controlling for the
number of credits earned, the labor market returns actually declined for noncompleters who progressed farther into their
studies. In other words, students who dropped out after taking a somewhat random assortment of classes were just as well
off as those who followed a strict path of study.
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Economy
A2: Outsourcing
1. Outsourcing is a good thing.
 (Author – Bloomberg View): “The benefits of moving jobs offshore have been numerous. Outsourcing means less
expensive goods and services for U.S. consumers… Outsourcing also allows more advanced industries to replace
outdated ones. Eventually, some jobs will flow back to the U.S. because of the combination of rising wages
overseas, a stronger Chinese currency, and the availability of low cost natural gas.”
2. Job loss is centrally due to automation, not outsourcing. Unfortunately, automation is an issue that can’t be fixed
with free tuition.
 (Author – Bloomberg View): “many jobs have been lost to automation, not necessarily to offshoring. The
presidential campaigns fail to recognize that employment in middle skill and middle wage occupations is
declining rapidly. If the candidates wanted to be constructive, they would tell voters the hard truth —that most
of the midlevel jobs are never coming back.”
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R1 – Outsourcing Good, a lot of reasons (Author – Bloomberg View)
[Author] (Bloomberg View). In Defense of Outsourcing. Accessed 2/27/2015. Published 7/12/2012. [URL].
The benefits of moving jobs offshore have been numerous. Outsourcing means less expensive goods and services for U.S.
consumers. Workers in China and India, meanwhile, are becoming more like Americans, increasing demand for U.S.made
goods. Outsourcing also allows more advanced industries to replace outdated ones. Eventually, some jobs will flow back to
the U.S. because of the combination of rising wages overseas, a stronger Chinese currency, and the availability of lowcost
natural gas. Such “inshoring” is already beginning.
R2 – Big reason for job loss is automation, not offshoring (Author – Bloomberg View)
[Author] (Bloomberg View). In Defense of Outsourcing. Accessed 2/27/2015. Published 7/12/2012. [URL].
This season’s electioneering leaves the impression that companies are bad if they outsource jobs, and if they’d only stop
being bad, the jobs would come back. Yet many jobs have been lost to automation, not necessarily to offshoring. The
presidential campaigns fail to recognize that employment in middleskill and middlewage occupations is declining rapidly. If
the candidates wanted to be constructive, they would tell voters the hard truth —that most of the midlevel jobs are
never coming back. They should talk about their plans to improve math and science education, and how to retrain workers
to perform more highskilled tasks. That’s the conversation both candidates are avoiding, but shouldn’t.
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A2: Econ Growth
1. There is a horrible return on investment. Putting $1000 into education per capita will leads to only $18 per capita
income increase.
 (Philippe Aghion – Brookings): “a thousand dollars of four-year college spending per person… raises per capita
income by $18… If we assume that the only people whose incomes changed were those who directly experienced
the spending, then those person's incomes would need to rise by about $225 for every $1000 spent.”
2. It is reverse causality.
 (Philippe Aghion – Brookings): He claims that “a state's education investments are non-random. States that are
richer, faster growing, or have better institutions probably find it easier to increase their education spending.
Thus, there is a distinct possibility that correlations between education investments and growth are due to
reverse causality.”
3. If running 4 year University statistics, econ growth results is way worse for two-year colleges than four year ones.
 (Philippe Aghion – Brookings): “A thousand dollars of four-year college spending per person in the cohort raises
growth by 0.07 percentage points… For a state at the frontier, two-year college spending has a small and
statistically insignificant effect on growth.”
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R1 – $1000 dollars in education per person, leads to $18 per capita income increase (Philippe Aghion –
Brookings)
[Author] (Bloomberg View). In Defense of Outsourcing. Accessed 2/27/2015. Published 7/12/2012. [URL].
For a state at the frontier, a thousand dollars of four-year college spending per person in the cohort raises per capita
income by $18 (focusing again on the coefficient where we un-do migration). If we assume that the only people whose
incomes changed were those who directly experienced the spending, then those person's incomes would need to rise by
about $225 for every $1000 spent. This is a 22.5 percent rate of return, which seems high for purely private returns. This
suggests the presence of some externalities or constraints that keep people from investing in enough (sufficiently high
quality) four-year college. Note that the effect of four-year on income is imprecisely estimated because its effect in farfrom-the-frontier states is very imprecisely estimated.
R2 – Reverse Causality (Philippe Aghion – Brookings)
[Author] (Bloomberg View). In Defense of Outsourcing. Accessed 2/27/2015. Published 7/12/2012. [URL].
Despite the enormous interest in the relationship between education and growth, the evidence is fragile at best. This is for
several reasons. First, a state's education investments are non-random. States that are richer, faster growing, or have
better institutions probably find it easier to increase their education spending. Thus, there is a distinct possibility that
correlations between education investments and growth are due to reverse causality (Bils and Klenow, 2000). Second,
owing to the poor availability of direct on education investments, researchers are often forced to use crude proxies, such as
average years of educational attainment in a state. Average years of education is an outcome that people chose, given their
state's investments in education. It depends on returns to education and is, thus, far more prone to endogeneity than is the
investment policy. Furthermore, because the average year of education counts an extra year of primary school just the
same as a year in a doctoral (Ph.D.) program, average years of education cannot inform us much about the mechanisms
that link education investments to growth. It is implausible that making one additional child attend first grade generates
technological innovation, and it is equally implausible that adding another physics Ph.D. affects basic social institutions,
fertility, or agricultural adaptation (all mechanisms that might link education and growth in developing countries). If we do
not know where the education investment is taking place, we cannot rule in or rule out mechanisms. Third, researchers
most often study education and growth, neglecting intermediating variables that are likely to reveal the mechanisms at
work.
R3 – Econ growth not significant for 2 year colleges (Philippe Aghion – Brookings)
[Author] (Bloomberg View). In Defense of Outsourcing. Accessed 2/27/2015. Published 7/12/2012. [URL].
For a state at the frontier, a thousand dollars of four-year college spending per person in the cohort raises growth by 0.07
percentage points. This is larger coefficient than that for research-type spending, but we should cautious about interpreting
it in that simple way because the typical shock to four-year college spending is only about $150. Therefore, we cannot really
extrapolate to what the marginal effect would be for the much larger shocks typical of research-type spending. The effect
on growth of a typical shock would be small: about 0.011 percentage points. Finally, for a state at the frontier, two-year
college spending has a small and statistically insignificant effect on growth.
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A2: Job Prospects Improve
1. There are terrible graduation statistics in the status quo. There is no need to fuel a broken system.
 (Stuart Butler – Brookings): “Just 20% of students who begin a two-year public community college program
actually graduate within 3 years, and typically only 60% of enrolled students return the following year. As for
being a low-cost gateway to a successful four-year college, just 15% of students entering community colleges
earn a bachelor’s degree within 6 years.”
2. Absolutely no benefits to in income later on if you get a community college degree
 (Daniel Luzer – Washington Monthly): “But it also found that the large proportion of community-college students
who major in the liberal arts, humanities, and general studies and have not gone on to earn bachelor’s degrees
receive little or no financial advantage at all in exchange for their time and tuition.”
3. Some colleges are so bad that in thirty states,
 (Klor de Alva – American Institutes for Research): “have some community colleges whose graduates’ median net
lifetime earnings trail those of the state’s high school graduates.”
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R1 – Only 20 percent of students graduate from CC’s (Stuart Butler – Brookings)
Butler (Brookings). Obama’s SOTU College Plan is Bad for Poor Americans. Accessed 3/5/2015. Published 1/2015. [URL].
What’s more, community college is usually a dead end.Rather than being a firm first rung on the higher education ladder,
for too many, community college turns out to be a broken rung.Just 20% of students who begin a two-year public
community college program actually graduate within 3 years, and typically only 60% of enrolled students return the
following year. As for being a low-cost gateway to a successful four-year college, just 15% of students entering community
colleges earn a bachelor’s degree within 6 years.
R2 – Community College Degrees don’t even increase income (Daniel Luzer – Washington Monthly)
Luzer (Washington Monthly). Sometimes a Community College Degree is Actually Worthless. Accessed 3/5/2015. Published 9/29/2014.
http://professorvanry.com/2014/09/29/study-shows-college-degree-doesnt-guarantee-increased-earnings/.
But it also found that the large proportion of community-college students who major in the liberal arts, humanities, and
general studies and have not gone on to earn bachelor’s degrees receive little or no financial advantage at all in exchange
for their time and tuition. Nor do recipients of many newly trendy professional certificates.
R3 – Some community colleges have horrible lifetime earnings in their students (Klor de Alva – American
Institutes for Research)
de Alva (American Institutes for Research). Return on Investment for Associate’s Degrees Can Be High for Graduates and Benefit Taxpayers. Accessed
3/5/2015. Published 8/3/2013. http://www.air.org/news/press-release/return-investment-associates-degrees-can-be-high-graduates-and-benefittaxpayers.
A national review of community colleges and their graduates’ financial return on investment finds that California and Texas
have the most institutions with graduates in the top tier of wage earners. Thirty states have some community colleges
whose graduates’ median net lifetime earnings trail those of the state’s high school graduates.
R4 – People who went directly into community college made less money than others (Federal Reserve Bank of
St. Louis)
[Author] (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis). [Website Title]. Accessed 3/5/2015. Published [Date]. [URL].
As expected, the results confirm that people with a higher level of education have, on average, higher earnings. Bachelor's
degree holders earn $54,125 a year; people with a master's degree earn $60,676 a year; people with a doctorate earn
$70,711 a year; and people with professional degrees earn $78,705 a year, on average. What is more interesting, the
results also show differences in annual salaries for individuals with a prior associate degree and without it for all
education levels. Regardless of the highest degree, people who started their post-secondary education with an associate
degree earn about $2,600-$9,100 less on average, depending on their highest degree, than those who started at a fouryear college.
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A2: STEM Jobs
1. There isn’t actually an opening for jobs in the STEM world, the science world just wants people to think that, leading to
the claims of many journalists.
 (Michael Anft – Chronicle of Higher Education): “Unemployment rates within STEM fields generally, while lower
than the overall unemployment rate of 7.2 percent, are often higher than they've been in years—a sign that
there is a shortage of jobs, not workers... ‘Most of the claims of such broad-based shortages in the U.S. STEM
work force come from employers of STEM personnel and from their lobbyists and trade associations," says
Michael Teitelbaum, a Wertheim Fellow in science policy at Harvard University and a senior adviser at the
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. "Such claims have convinced some politicians and journalists, who echo them.’”
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R1 – There are too many STEM Jobs (Michael Anft – Chronicle of Higher Education)
Anft (Chronicle of Higher Education). The STEM Crisis: Reality or Myth?. Accessed 3/5/2015. Published 11/11/2013.
http://www.apsnet.org/members/outreach/Documents/6STEMCrisis_Reality_Myth.pdf.
But if you're a biologist, chemist, electrical engineer, manufacturing worker, mechanical engineer, or physicist, you've most
likely seen your paycheck remain flat at best. If you're a recent grad in those fields looking for a job, good luck. A National
Academies report suggests a glut of life scientists, lab workers, and physical scientists, owing in part to over--recruitment of
science-Ph.D. candidates by universities. And postdocs, many of whom are waiting longer for academic spots, are opting
out of science careers at higher rates, according to the National Science Foundation. Unemployment rates within STEM
fields generally, while lower than the overall unemployment rate of 7.2 percent, are often higher than they've been in
years—a sign that there is a shortage of jobs, not workers. ‘Most of the claims of such broad-based shortages in the U.S.
STEM work force come from employers of STEM personnel and from their lobbyists and trade associations," says Michael
Teitelbaum, a Wertheim Fellow in science policy at Harvard University and a senior adviser at the Alfred P. Sloan
Foundation. "Such claims have convinced some politicians and journalists, who echo them.’
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A2: Student Loans
1. Only 17% of community college students take out loans at the moment.
 (Association of Community College Trustees): “just 17% of all community college students take out federal loans.
Keeping the Pell Grant program whole and maintaining eligibility for needy students remains a top priority for
ACCT.”
2. The number taking out loans has decreased over one year.
 (The Institute for College Access and Success): “Only 21% of eligible community college students took out federal
student loans in 2011-12,” but in 2013 “just 17% of all community college students take out federal loans.”
3. In the status quo schools can already implement programs to keep student loan debt down.
 (The Institute for College Access and Success): “For example, National Park Community College in Arkansas
successfully lowered their default rate eight percentage points in two years by improving their financial aid
administrative policies, including loan counseling, and dedicating more staff time to educating delinquent
borrowers about their repayment options.”
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R1: Only 17% of students borrow from federal gov (ACCT)
(ACCT) “Pell Grants” http://www.acct.org/pell-grants
Pell Grants play a much more prominent role in community college student financing than in other sectors for two primary
reasons. Community college students, on average, have the lowest incomes, and they also pay the lowest average
tuitions—in the fall of 2013, $3,264 for a full-time, full-year, in-state student. This means that Pell Grants cover more
expenses for community college students than for those attending other types of institutions. This helps to minimize
student borrowing; just 17% of all community college students take out federal loans. Keeping the Pell Grant program
whole and maintaining eligibility for needy students remains a top priority for ACCT.
R2: 79% of CC students don’t get federal student loans (The Institute for College Access and Success)
(The Institute for College Access and Success) “Data Show No Evidence of “Over-Borrowing” at Community Colleges” June 2014
http://www.ticas.org/files/pub/Over-borrowing_at_community_colleges.pdf
The vast majority (79%) of eligible community college students do not take out federal loans.3 Only 21% of eligible
community college students took out federal student loans in 2011-12, the most recent year of data available. Only 9%
borrowed as much as they could have.4
R3: CC can already solve student-loans (The Institute for College Access and Success)
(The Institute for College Access and Success) “Data Show No Evidence of “Over-Borrowing” at Community Colleges” June 2014
http://www.ticas.org/files/pub/Over-borrowing_at_community_colleges.pdf
Even after students borrow, colleges can implement strategies to reduce student loan defaults. For example, National Park
Community College in Arkansas successfully lowered their default rate eight percentage points in two years by improving
their financial aid administrative policies, including loan counseling, and dedicating more staff time to educating delinquent
borrowers about their repayment options.11
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A2: Reduced Income Inequality
1. Free tuition actually only helps the rich and doesn’t really help the poor
 (Stuart Butler – Brookings Institute): he writes “the plan is badly targeted. Covering the full tuition of all
community college students would mean middle-income, and even upper-income, students would get hefty
subsidies, even though many do not need the help. Meanwhile, many lower-income students at community
colleges would still not have the money to cover the non-tuition costs, such as books, supplies and transportation
– and room and board for those not living at home.”
2. Free tuition doesn’t actually help the poor, it just gives the wealthy more money off the top of the government’s
funds.
 (Debbie Cochrane – The Institute for College Access and Success): “Free tuition plans are giant missed
opportunities because they put resources where they are less needed when the need is so great in other areas…
students in the lower income categories need far more financial support to bring college within reach… 92% of
the lowest income group) have “unmet need” even after accounting for available grants and what they can
afford out-of-pocket. That’s true of just 9% of students in the highest income category: 91% of those students
can already afford not just tuition, but their entire cost of attendance.”
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R1 – Free tuition gives subsidies to rich and doesn’t adequately help the poor (Stuart Butler – Brookings
Institution)
Stuart Butler (Brookings Institution). “Obama’s SOTU Free College Plan is Bad for Poor Americans.” 20 January 2015.
http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2015/01/20-obama-free-community-college-bad-idea-sotu-butler.
For one, the plan is badly targeted. Covering the full tuition of all community college students would mean middle-income,
and even upper-income, students would get hefty subsidies, even though many do not need the help. Meanwhile, many
lower-income students at community colleges would still not have the money to cover the non-tuition costs, such as books,
supplies and transportation – and room and board for those not living at home. These costs usually dwarf tuition at a public
community college – annual total costs averages over $16,000, while free tuition would account for only about one-fifth of
that. True, lower-income students can qualify for Pell grants, but the maximum this year is $5,730, making community
college a financial challenge for many, even if tuition were free.
R2 – Free tuition wouldn’t actually help poor (Debbie Cochrane – The Institute for College Access and Success)
Debbie Cochrane (The Institute for College Access and Success). “Why ‘Free Community College’ is a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing.” January 2015
http://views.ticas.org/?p=1421.
Free tuition plans are giant missed opportunities because they put resources where they are less needed when the need is
so great in other areas. As shown in the table below, students in the lower income categories need far more financial
support to bring college within reach. The vast majority of them (92% for the lowest income group) have “unmet need”
even after accounting for available grants and what they can afford out-of-pocket. That’s true of just 9% of students in the
highest income category: 91% of those students can already afford not just tuition, but their entire cost of attendance.
Surely higher income students would appreciate additional resources, but do they need them? Not according to federal
needs analysis, and the vast majority of these higher income students already enroll in college and are the most likely to
graduate.
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Degrees
A2: Persistence
1. If they aren’t going to complete college, the less time they spend there, the more advantageous
 (Matthey Zeidenberg – Center for Analysis of Postsecondary Education and Employment): “The penalty for
progression is similar for both female and male non-completers: students who progressed twice as far as the
average non-completer earn 4–5 percent less (and the effect of credits has not attenuated in this broader
model)… it suggests a high-stakes scenario where, unless a student is going to graduate, their labor market
outcomes would be improved if they dropped out of a program as quickly as possible.”
2. It normally takes students longer than 2 years to graduate. It takes 88% of people more than two years. After that,
they no longer have free tuition under the resolution.
 (Laura Horn – Department of Education): Don’t actually have this card
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R1 – If they aren’t going to complete, the less time the better (Matthew Zeidenberg – Center for Analysis of
Postsecondary Education and Employment)
Zeidenberg (Center for Analysis of Postsecondary Education and Employment). What About the Non-Completers?. Accessed 3/4/2015. Published
2/2015. http://capseecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/capsee-noncompleters-returns-to-progress.pdf.
However, because progression is strongly (although not perfectly) associated with more credits, it is not surprising that it is
positively associated with earnings. Of interest here is whether, conditional on their credit accumulation, a student who has
progressed further toward completion will have higher earnings. Model (3) tests for the net effect of progression: it shows
that, among non-completers, controlling for total credits earned, students who have progressed further in their program of
study courses earn less than students who have taken general credits. The penalty for progression is similar for both female
and male non-completers: students who progressed twice as far as the average non-completer earn 4–5 percent less (and
the effect of credits has not attenuated in this broader model). To our knowledge there is no prior evidence to corroborate
this finding. It may be that there are diminishing returns to subject matter (over general courses) or that taking upper-level
subject-specific courses is inconvenient. It may be that these individuals have had less time in the labor market. Overall, this
finding does not support theories that students who progress further are more motivated or have higher ability (conditional
on them not completing their program). Instead, it suggests a high-stakes scenario where, unless a student is going to
graduate, their labor market outcomes would be improved if they dropped out of a program as quickly as possible.
R2 – This is my tag (Author – Institution)
[Author] ([Institution/Qualifications]). [Website Title]. Accessed [Date]. Published [Date]. [URL].
This is my evidence.
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A2: Degree Attainment
1. Community colleges are really bad at graduating people. The system is inherently broken.
 (Cecilia Rouse – Princeton University): “Six years after first enrollment, only 14 percent of students beginning at
community colleges have completed an associate’s degree, and only 12 percent have completed a bachelor’s
degree. Nearly one-half have no degree and are no longer enrolled in school.”
2. Turn: If you buy that people are getting degrees, it is a zero sum game. For every extra degree, the value of the
degrees goes down.
 (Author – The Washington Times): they argue that “a wave of graduates would create a surplus of job applicants
armed only with a two-year degree and this would make such a degree worth less.”
 (Liz Harrison – Town Hall): A diploma is essentially worth its price. “Couple this with the fact that a diploma is free
with the exception of ones acquired from parochial or private high schools that actually charge tuition, and it can
be argued that the diploma has been permanently devalued.”
 (Malcolm Harris – Al Jazeera): To impact this argument, he writes that (it’s since the 70s though) “the earnings of
those with two-year degrees have decreased more than 20 percent.”
3. Students going to community college have a much worse chance of getting bachelor’s degree than if you go to a four
year university. be argued that the diploma has been permanently devalued.”
 (Marianna Alfonso – Brown University): “Column (2) of panel A adds pathways of enrollment. Interestingly, when
controlling for community college students’ higher likelihood of enrolling in non-traditional fashions—i.e.,
interrupting enrollment, attending part-time, enrolling in remedial education, and delaying enrollment—the
effect of community college attendance on bachelor’s degree attainment increases in absolute magnitude to
30.6%.”
4. [This is very good as a specific response to California, but can be used anytime.] Students going to community
college have a much worse chance of getting bachelor’s degree than if you go to a four year university.
 (Andrew Kelly – Forbes): “In a 2012 analysis, I found that retention and completion rates across California’s
community colleges were above the national average. But completion rates were even higher at two-year
colleges in Wisconsin and North Dakota, where tuition is two to three times as high and Pell Grant recipients
make up a larger percentage of enrollments than in California.”
5. Jobs are very problematic. They are worse for education than before because schedules are less flexible or pay far
worse.
 (Sara Goldrick-Rab – EduOptimists): “Parttime work schedules have become less flexible over the past decade,
and part-time work does not come with benefits. Moreover, the kinds of part-time jobs that have sustained
students in previous generations no longer pay what they used to.”
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R1 - Community colleges students often don’t complete their educations (Cecilia Rouse – Princeton
University)
Cecilia Rouse (Princeton University). “Paying for Performance: The Education Impacts of a Community College Scholarship Program for Low-income
Adults.” Feburary 2012. http://popcenter.uchicago.edu/archived/DW-2012-03-29-Barrow_et_al_Revision-February_2012.pdf.
While the total (monetary and nonmonetary) benefits of attending a two- or four-year college are seemingly quite high, less
than 60 percent of the population 25 to 35 years old reports having any college experience (Crissey 2009). Even among
those who begin college, many have not completed any degree six years after their initial enrollment. This is particularly
true at two- year colleges which enroll 48 percent of all first-time, first-year college students (Berkner and Choy 2008). Six
years after first enrollment, only 14 percent of students beginning at community colleges have completed an associate’s
degree, and only 12 percent have completed a bachelor’s degree. Nearly one-half have no degree and are no longer
enrolled in school. As a result, many researchers and policy-makers have questioned whether there are policies that can
increase enrollment persistence and completion rates at the college level. This paper examines one such policy—
performance-based scholarships—focused on improving academic success and persistence at community colleges.
R2a – Explicit warrant (Author – Washington Times)
[Author] (Washington Times). The Community College Illusion. Accessed 2/27/2015. Published 1/26/2015.
Assuming the best for prospective students entering community college, a wave of graduates would create a surplus of job
applicants armed only with a two-year degree and this would make such a degree worth less. The Census Bureau
determined that other means of professional certification open far more opportunities than a community college degree.
R2b – A diploma is worth its cost (Liz Harrison – TownHall)
Harrison (TownHall). Devaluing Education in America. Accessed 2/27/2015. Published 1/15/2015.
http://townhall.com/columnists/lizharrison/2015/01/15/devaluing-education-in-america-n1943668/page/full.
Schools do not teach students how to survive in society. The irony is that the students that are often derided for being too
stupid to succeed in pre-college courses probably are more prepared for the real world than their college-bound peers.
Students that choose vocational training courses while still in high school at least will graduate with starting knowledge and
experience in a marketable trade. The result is that the majority of high school students graduate with an incomplete
education, at least in terms of marketability in the working world. Couple this with the fact that a diploma is free with the
exception of ones acquired from parochial or private high schools that actually charge tuition, and it can be argued that
the diploma has been permanently devalued.
R2c – 20 percent fewer jobs since the 80s – shitty link to devaluation (Malcolm Harris – Al Jazeera)
Harris (Al Jazeera). [Website Title]. Accessed 2/27/2015. Published 1/18/2015. http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2015/1/obama-communitycollegeproposaleducation.html.
Higher education is a win-win, but over time the split of the proceeds has changed. Worker productivity has increased,
thanks to all this human-capital accumulation, but wages haven’t followed. Real median earnings have barely moved for
college graduates since the mid-1980s, and since 1979 the earnings of those with two-year degrees have decreased more
than 20 percent. After-tax corporate profits, on the other hand, have hit an all-time high, passing 10 percent of GDP. Some
people have reaped the benefits of the increased national investment in human capital over the recent decades, but not
college-educated workers; labor compensation as percent of GDP has crashed to record lows. The more educated American
workers are in aggregate, the smaller their slice of the pie gets.
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R3 – 31% worse chance of graduating with community colleges than with four year universities (Author –
Institution)
Mariana Alfonso (Brown University). “The Impact of Community College Attendance on Baccalaureate Attainment.” December 2006.
Column (2) of panel A adds pathways of enrollment. Interestingly, when controlling for community college students’
higher likelihood of enrolling in non-traditional fashions—i.e., interrupting enrollment, attending part-time, enrolling in
remedial education, and delaying enrollment—the effect of community college attendance on bachelor’s degree
attainment increases in absolute magnitude to )30.6%. One would think that including the pathway measures would
decrease the absolute size of the 2-year coefficient since community college students have a higher incidence of nontraditional pathways, which in turn decrease the probability of attaining a bachelor’s degree. But this study finds that, net
of non-traditional pathways, 2-year colleges have an even larger negative effect on baccalaureate attainment. To see which
pathway variable might explain the direction of the change in the 2-year coefficient, the base model was re-estimated
including one pathway variable at a time (i.e., with full-time attendance only, then with delayed enrollment only, and so on.
Results are not shown here and are available from the author at request). The increase in the absolute size of the
coefficient can be partly explained by the variable used here to identify part-time versus full-time attendance. This study
controls for full-time attendance, and 4-year students are more likely to enroll full-time (see Table 2). Therefore, the 2-year
coefficient should increase in absolute magnitude once full-time attendance is controlled for, and this is what happens
here. Delaying enrollment also changes the 2-year coefficient in the right direction, but interrupting enrollment and
enrollment in remedial education change the 2-year coefficient in the unexpected direction—turning it more negative.
Unfortunately, there is no clear explanation for this direction in the change of the community college coefficient after the
inclusion of these two pathway variables. It is plausible that the commonality of interruptions to enrollment and placement
in remedial education at community colleges make these institutions more readily equipped to serve students that follow
these paths. Using the same logic, 4-year colleges deal less often with students needing remedial education and who
interrupt enrollments, and might be therefore less well prepared to work with these types of students. In addition, one
should caution that enrollment patterns are potentially endogenous to educational attainment: The unobserved factors
affecting the probability of falling into one of these not-traditional paths might well be correlated with the unobserved
factors affecting baccalaureate attainment, and this potential endogeneity problem might be biasing the coefficient on the
community college effect.
R4 – Wisconsin and North Dakota plans are way better and way more expensive (Andrew Kelly – Forbes)
Kelly, Andrew. “Four Reasons To Be Skeptical About Obama's Free Community College Proposal.” Forbes, January 9 2015.
<http://www.forbes.com/sites/akelly/2015/01/09/four-reasons-to-be-skepticalabout-obamas-free-community-college-proposal/>
“Federal data show that at two-year colleges, 31 percent of first-time, full-time students graduate within three years. The
implicit assumption of free-tuition plans is that the main reason students don’t finish community college is the cost of
tuition. Not, say, the fact that somewhere around 50-60 percent of community college students are not college-ready, or
that many community colleges are not designed with student success in mind. Color me skeptical that a federally-funded
free option will solve all of these problems. To be clear: research shows that tuition prices and grant aid do influence
enrollment rates, and we’re learning more about how they influence student success. But the notion that making college
free will mechanically improve student outcomes is naïve. Take community colleges in California, where students pay the
lowest published tuition in the nation ($1,429 this year). Attendance is essentially free to many students who qualify for Pell
Grants. In a 2012 analysis, I found that retention and completion rates across California’s community colleges were above
the national average. But completion rates were even higher at two-year colleges in Wisconsin and North Dakota, where
tuition is two to three times as high and Pell Grant recipients make up a larger percentage of enrollments than in California.
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A free option would almost certainly boost enrollment rates. But these cross-state outcomes do suggest that pushing
tuition to zero may not be a silver-bullet solution to lackluster student success.
R5 – Jobs aren’t compatible with education (Sara Goldrick-Rab – EduOptimists)
Goldrick-Rab (EduOptimists). “Redefining College Affordability.” Accessed 2/26/2015. Published 4/2014.
Parttime work schedules have become less flexible over the past decade, and part-time work does not come with benefits.
Moreover, the kinds of part-time jobs that have sustained students in previous generations no longer pay what they used
to: for example, waiting tables used to bring the promise of sizable un-taxed cash tips but today, thanks to the use of credit
cards, electronic systems, and changes to IRS rules regarding automatic gratuities, tips have declined and taxes have
increased. The tipped minimum wage has fallen in value by almost 60 percent since the 1970s (Allegretto & Filion, 2012).
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A2: 4 Year Transfer
1. It is 2-3x is easier to get a degree if you just start at a 4 year college.
 (Natalia Kolesnikova – Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis): “Moreover, among community college students who
expressed an intention to obtain a four-year bachelor's degree, only 26 percent have such a degree nine years
later. On the other hand, 50 percent and 73 percent of those who start at nonselective and selective four-year
institutions, respectively, obtain a bachelor's degree within nine years.”
 (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis): Due to massive drop-out rates and a lack of college credits due to remedial
classes, community college students are 36% less likely to gain a bachelor’s degree than their 4 year college
counterparts.
2. [Definitely use this if they don’t show you solvency.] The process isn’t really utilized in the status quo.
 (Stuart Butler – Brookings Institute): “As for being a low-cost gateway to a successful four-year college, just
15% of students entering community colleges earn a bachelor’s degree within 6 years.”
3. If students actually try to transfer, credit loss stops many kids from successfully transferring.
 (Author – Columbia University): The study “found that none of these were correlated with failure to complete a
four-year degree. Instead, the largest barrier to bachelor’s completion for community college students was loss
of credits upon transfer.”
 (Author – Columbia University): “A recent study using a nationally representative sample of students found that
fewer than 60 percent of community college students were able to transfer most of their credits, and about 15
percent transferred almost no credits. Loss of credits had consequences for degree attainment: Students who
transferred almost all of their community college credits were 2.5 times more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree
than students who transferred fewer than half of their credits.”
4. More community college offerings means that the price of 4 year Universities will increase because community
colleges will cut only from the cost efficient lecture classes that are participated in in the first two years of college.
 (Susan Svrluga – The Washington Post): Two free years at a community college supposedly will make a four-year
bachelor’s degree more affordable. Yet four-year colleges and universities depend on larger classes taught to first
and second year students to keep cost down. These larger introductory classes are the flip side of the smaller and
more teacher-intensive upper level classes of the final two years. The upper division courses are the ones that
truly prepare students for a job market that prizes advanced training in technical and non-technical fields alike. If
the proportion of freshmen and sophomores at four-year universities falls, this could push up the cost of a fouryear degree for students who go directly to places like Ohio State or Oregon. Welcome to the ‘law of unintended
consequences.’
5. Transferring is a lost cause. Only 20% percent of the people who try to transfer actually succeed.
 (Michael Horn – CNN): “More telling, 80% of students say they want a bachelor's degree or higher, and yet only
20% of these students transfer to a four-year institution within five years.”
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R1a – Twice as many kids get degrees if start at 4 year universities (Natalia Kolesnikova – Federal Reserve
Bank)
Kolesnikova (Federal Reserve Bank). From Community College to a Bachelor’s Degree and Beyond: How Smooth is the Road?. Accessed 3/5/2015.
Published 7/2009. https://www.stlouisfed.org/Publications/Regional-Economist/July-2009/From-Community-College-to-a-Bachelors-Degree-andBeyond-How-Smooth-Is-the-Road.
Bridget Terry Long and Michal Kurlaender recently studied a group of students over a nine-year period. They found that the
rates of dropping out or "stopping out" without a bachelor's degree are much higher for those who start at community
colleges than for those who start at four-year institutions.2 Community college students were 36 percent less likely to
obtain a bachelor's degree than similar students who started at four-year colleges. Moreover, among community college
students who expressed an intention to obtain a four-year bachelor's degree, only 26 percent have such a degree nine
years later. On the other hand, 50 percent and 73 percent of those who start at nonselective and selective four-year
institutions, respectively, obtain a bachelor's degree within nine years. The negative effect of starting post-secondary
education at a community college remains even after the authors adjust for selection bias by controlling for students' race,
gender, age, ability (measured by ACT scores) and family income. The authors suggest that "it is worth comparing the size of
the penalty to the difference in costs at two-year versus four-year institutions."3
R2 – Only 15% pursue (Stuart Butler – Brookings)
Butler (Brookings). Obama’s SOTU College Plan is Bad for Poor Americans. Accessed 3/5/2015. Published 1/2015. [URL].
What’s more, community college is usually a dead end.Rather than being a firm first rung on the higher education ladder,
for too many, community college turns out to be a broken rung.Just 20% of students who begin a two-year public
community college program actually graduate within 3 years, and typically only 60% of enrolled students return the
following year. As for being a low-cost gateway to a successful four-year college, just 15% of students entering community
colleges earn a bachelor’s degree within 6 years.
R3a – Only barrier to successful transfer is credit loss (Columbia University)
Columbia University. “What We Know About Transfer.” January 2015. http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/what-we-know-abouttransfer.pdf.
The study examined a number of potential reasons for non-completion among community college transfer students—
including lowered expectations from attending a two-year college, the vocational focus of some community college
programs, and the potentially lower level of rigor at community colleges. The authors found that none of these were
correlated with failure to complete a four-year degree. Instead, the largest barrier to bachelor’s completion for community
college students was loss of credits upon transfer.
R3b – Many CC students can’t transfer their credits (Columbia University)
Columbia University. “What We Know About Transfer.” January 2015. http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/what-we-know-abouttransfer.pdf.
A recent study using a nationally representative sample of students found that fewer than 60 percent of community college
students were able to transfer most of their credits, and about 15 percent transferred almost no credits. Loss of credits had
consequences for degree attainment: Students who transferred almost all of their community college credits were 2.5
times more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree than students who transferred fewer than half of their credits.
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R4 – Increased Cost of four year colleges (Susan Svrluga – The Washington Post)
Svrluga (The Washington Post). [Website Title]. Accessed [Date]. Published [Date]. [URL].
One of the program’s goals is to break down the financial barriers that keep many students from pursuing a useful
certificate or degree. Two free years at a community college supposedly will make a four-year bachelor’s degree more
affordable. Yet four-year colleges and universities depend on larger classes taught to first and second year students to keep
cost down. These larger introductory classes are the flip side of the smaller and more teacher-intensive upper level classes
of the final two years. The upper division courses are the ones that truly prepare students for a job market that prizes
advanced training in technical and non-technical fields alike. If the proportion of freshmen and sophomores at four-year
universities falls, this could push up the cost of a four-year degree for students who go directly to places like Ohio State or
Oregon. Welcome to the ‘law of unintended consequences.”
R5 – Only 20% who want to transfer do (Michael Horn – CNN)
Michael Horn (CNN) “Obama, free community college may not work” http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/20/opinion/horn-community-college/ 2015
According to the Community College Research Center at Teachers College, Columbia University, only 22% of students
graduate within three years, and 28% graduate within four. More telling, 80% of students say they want a bachelor's degree
or higher, and yet only 20% of these students transfer to a four-year institution within five years.
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A2: Improved Quality
1. Turn: Even good plans like Obama’s will decrease funding. The plans will definitely not increase funding overall.
 (Judith Scott-Clayton – Columbia): the “plan does not provide colleges with additional resources to help them in
these efforts. In fact, it is possible that his plan could reduce the money community colleges are able to spend on
improving outcomes. The White House estimates that the free tuition program would cost $6 billion a year. But
that money would simply replace the tuition students were already paying, not increase colleges’ revenue. States
would be required to pay for one-quarter of this tuition subsidy.”
2. Turn: Enrollment inflation hurts quality in a serious way. There are two warrants. The first is that entrance exam
standards are lowered. Second, students that aren’t financially interested will harm the school.
 (Georgi Boorman – The Federalist): “All colleges will be competing for federal dollars earmarked for the 100
percent subsidized program. Whether the funds are dealt out directly from the federal government or allocated
to the states, who in turn allocate to individual colleges, it stands to reason that a key method to obtaining more
federal funding is to prove that your college has higher enrollments for students that qualify for the program.
[First] this is where academic rigor could really take a hit. Lowering entrance standards is one way to further
increase the number of students that qualify for enrollment… [Second] the growth in enrollment from students
who are not personally financially invested in their own success will use up precious educational resources, only
to drop out. This is likely cancel out any economic gains from the “investment” made in students who use the
system wisely.”
3. The system becomes severely overloaded. Look to California as an example.
 (Author – The Washington Times): “California boasts the least-expensive tuition at the two-year schools. Tuition
at state colleges and universities there are as low as $1,100 annually. Drawn by the prospect of such low tuition,
there’s a list of 470,000 students waiting for admission — a number equaling the entire population of Wyoming.”
 (Author – The Washington Times): “MDRC, a nonprofit educational research organization, finds that a ratio of
1,000-to-1 student to counselor is common in community colleges. That distressing number will increase
dramatically with an enrollment of more students.”
4. Next, the detraction from four year Universities is incredibly harmful to the quality. This means we are directly
substituting 4 year University education for that of a community college.
 (Chris Stigall – CBS News): “With over 57,000 applicants already received by the Tennessee program, Butler is
concerned about all of the negative effects that it will have on both two and four year institutions. “It overloads
the junior college system at the expense of the four year institutions, which is why I find it absolutely
unbelievable.”
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R1 – Turn: Funding is hurt (Judith Scott-Clayton – Columbia)
Scott-Clayton (Columbia). The Problem with Obama’s “Free Community College” Proposal. Accessed 3/5/2015. Published 1/20/2015.
http://time.com/money/3674033/obama-free-college-plan-problems/.
Laudably, President Obama’s proposal does try to address quality. It includes requirements that community colleges “adopt
promising and evidence-based institutional reforms to improve student outcomes.” But his plan does not provide colleges
with additional resources to help them in these efforts. In fact, it is possible that his plan could reduce the money
community colleges are able to spend on improving outcomes. The White House estimates that the free tuition program
would cost $6 billion a year. But that money would simply replace the tuition students were already paying, not increase
colleges’ revenue. States would be required to pay for one-quarter of this tuition subsidy. Some may raise that money by
decreasing the direct subsidies they give colleges now, which currently cover approximately two-thirds of the cost of
educating each student.
R2 – Turn: Enrollment Inflation Leads to Quality Harms (Georgi Boorman – The Federalist)
Boorman (The Federalist). ‘Free’ Community College Will Just Make High School Six Years Long. Accessed [Date]. Published [Date]. [URL].
As much as we don’t like to admit it, money is factor in our educational choices. Sometimes the cost of tuition is too high to
justify going back to school over continuing down one’s current career path. Sometimes high-school graduates see joining
the workforce directly as a better individual decision, instead of laboring through two more years of academics that are not
guaranteed to equip him for the job market. But when there’s no money barrier, the number of people who would find
community college more advantageous will vastly increase, just as the Cash for Clunkers program incentivized people to
buy newer, more fuel efficient vehicles instead of keeping their current, older car. This is where the second aspect to
government bloat comes in: enrollment inflation. All colleges will be competing for federal dollars earmarked for the 100
percent subsidized program. Whether the funds are dealt out directly from the federal government or allocated to the
states, who in turn allocate to individual colleges, it stands to reason that a key method to obtaining more federal funding is
to prove that your college has higher enrollments for students that qualify for the program. This is where academic rigor
could really take a hit. Lowering entrance standards is one way to further increase the number of students that qualify for
enrollment, or in President Obama’s nebulous terms, “those who are willing to work for it.” Not only will the cost to
taxpayers increase, but the growth in enrollment from students who are not personally financially invested in their own
success will use up precious educational resources, only to drop out. This is likely cancel out any economic gains from the
“investment” made in students who use the system wisely. Meaning, the likelihood that the taxpayer will receive any sort
of net economic benefit from a more college-educated population is slim to none.
R3a – 470,000 person overload in California (Author – The Washington Times)
[Author] (The Washington Times). The Community College Illusion. Accessed 3/5/2015. Published 1/26/2015.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/26/editorial-the-community-college-illusion/.
California boasts the least-expensive tuition at the two-year schools. Tuition at state colleges and universities there are as
low as $1,100 annually. Drawn by the prospect of such low tuition, there’s a list of 470,000 students waiting for admission
— a number equaling the entire population of Wyoming. Waitlists are not the only example of the problem. MDRC, a
nonprofit educational research organization, finds that a ratio of 1,000-to-1 student to counselor is common in community
colleges. That distressing number will increase dramatically with an enrollment of more students.
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R3b – Horrible ratios will be exacerbated (Author – The Washington Times)
[Author] (The Washington Times). The Community College Illusion. Accessed 3/5/2015. Published 1/26/2015.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/26/editorial-the-community-college-illusion/.
California boasts the least-expensive tuition at the two-year schools. Tuition at state colleges and universities there are as
low as $1,100 annually. Drawn by the prospect of such low tuition, there’s a list of 470,000 students waiting for admission
— a number equaling the entire population of Wyoming. Waitlists are not the only example of the problem. MDRC, a
nonprofit educational research organization, finds that a ratio of 1,000-to-1 student to counselor is common in
community colleges. That distressing number will increase dramatically with an enrollment of more students.
R4 – 4 year universities are detracted from (Chris Stigall – CBS News)
Stigall (CBS News). Economist Chris Butler. Accessed 3/5/2015. Published 1/9/2015. http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2015/01/09/economist-chrisbutler-free-community-college-will-overload-the-system/.
With over 57,000 applicants already received by the Tennessee program, Butler is concerned about all of the negative
effects that it will have on both two and four year institutions. “It overloads the junior college system at the expense of the
four year institutions, which is why I find it absolutely unbelievable. You’re going to suck all of these kids out of the four
year institutions, that’s a problem for the four year institutions and then you’re going to put them in a junior college that
gets overloaded. There are not enough seats for that kind of participation in state’s junior college system. “
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Plans
A2: Tennessee
1. The resolution never specifies any specific plan, only that it should be two years of guaranteed free community or
technical college. Therefore, the debate should be centered around that idea instead of a specific policy.
2. Not resolutional.
 (Debbie Cochrane – The Institute for College Access and Success): the Tennessee plan is a “last dollar”
scholarship, only covering costs that aren’t covered from other grants. This poses two problems:
- It doesn’t fit the guarantee of free tuition that the resolution asks for.
- Plans like this mean that the students with greatest need for free tuition will rarely benefit, instead helping
those with the least need due to relatively low costs of community college.
3. The Tennessee Program took away money from scholarships, not the lottery.
 (Steve Cohen – The Tennessean): “Tennessee Promise will drastically reduce the reserves for the HOPE Lottery
Scholarships and take any other excess from the HOPE program, which will make any increase to those
scholarships impossible.”
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R2 – Not truly “free” (Cochrane – ICAS)
Debbie Cochrane (The Institute for College Access and Success). “Why ‘Free Commnuity College is a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing”. Accessed 5 March 2015.
Published 9 January 2015. http://views.ticas.org/?p=1421.
Further, the Tennessee plan (and others like it) is a “last-dollar” scholarship, meaning that it only helps students who don’t
get enough from other grants to cover tuition. This is a critically important point because, given the relatively low income of
community college students and the relatively low tuition charges at community colleges, it means that the students with
the greatest need for financial aid will rarely benefit. Conversely, those with the least need are the most certain to benefit.
R3 – Pulls away from scholarships (Steve Cohen – Tennessean)
Cohen (Tennessean). Bill Implementing Amendment. Accessed 3/5/2015. Published [Date]. http://knoxblogs.com/humphreyhill/tag/lottery/.
Tennessee Promise will drastically reduce the reserves for the HOPE Lottery Scholarships and take any other excess from
the HOPE program, which will make any increase to those scholarships impossible. Promise also reduces the amount of
HOPE Lottery Scholarships to freshmen and sophomores at four-year colleges by $500. Given the state’s stagnation in
higher education spending and its reliance on sales tax for funding government services—perpetuated further by the
passage of the constitutional amendment banning an income tax—tuition will continue rise.
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A2: Obama’s Plan
2. The resolution never specifies any specific plan, only that it should be two years of guaranteed free community or
technical college. Therefore, the debate should be centered around that idea instead of a specific policy.
3. Debating a specific policy means that the Pro then must prove implementation to gain access to their benefits.
 (Doyle McManus – LA Times): Congress will not pass Obama’s free community college plan.
4. Issues in Obama’s plan
 (Judith Clayton – TIME): President Obama’s plan doesn’t solve for the issue of quality, failing to provide colleges
with additional resources, and would reduce the money these colleges can spend on improving already dismal
outcomes. States would have to pay a quarter of the plan’s amount, and would do that by decreasing direct
subsidies to these colleges that currently cover 2/3 of the cost of educating each student.
 (Jonathan Alter – The Daily Beast): The Obama plan doesn’t deal with the biggest issue of the guidance advisory
system. Community colleges have a ratio of one counselor to every 2,000 students, meaning that by the time
they find out the student is struggling, they’ve already dropped out.
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R2 – Not going to pass (McManus – LA Times)
Doyle McManus (Los Angeles Times). “Obama's wish-list budget doesn't make things easy for the GOP”. Accessed 5 March 2015. Published 4 February
2015. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-mcmanus-obama-budget-wish-list-20150204-column.html.
First, along with his Jan. 20 State of the Union speech, the budget gave the president a three-week-long excuse to campaign
for things middle-class (especially female) voters may want, but Congress won't give them: free community college...
R3a – Doesn’t cover quality (Clayton – TIME)
Judith Scott-Clayton (TIME). “The Problem With Obama’s ‘Free Community College’ Proposal”. Accessed 5 March 2015. Published 20 January 2015.
http://time.com/money/3674033/obama-free-college-plan-problems/.
Laudably, President Obama’s proposal does try to address quality. It includes requirements that community colleges “adopt
promising and evidence-based institutional reforms to improve student outcomes.” But his plan does not provide colleges
with additional resources to help them in these efforts. In fact, it is possible that his plan could reduce the money
community colleges are able to spend on improving outcomes. The White House estimates that the free tuition program
would cost $6 billion a year. But that money would simply replace the tuition students were already paying, not increase
colleges’ revenue. States would be required to pay for one-quarter of this tuition subsidy. Some may raise that money by
decreasing the direct subsidies they give colleges now, which currently cover approximately two-thirds of the cost of
educating each student.
R3b – Biggest problem (Alter – The Daily Beast)
Jonathan Alter (Daily Beast). “The Free Community College Plan is Obama’s GI Bill”. Accessed 5 March 2015. Published 24 January 2015.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/01/24/the-free-community-college-plan-is-obama-s-gi-bill.html.
The biggest problem with the Obama plan is that it doesn’t call for blowing up the existing guidance/advisory system, which
is a scandal. Many community colleges have a ratio of one guidance counselor for every 1,500 to 2,000 students (or more),
a recipe for failure. By the time the college learns that a student is struggling, he or she has long since dropped out.
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Communal Gains
A2: Volunteerism
1. College volunteering isn’t any better than any other person’s
 (Melody Brumble – USA Today): “The percentage of college students who volunteer is declining, reflecting an
overall drop in volunteerism nationally. In 2010, 26.1 percent of college students around the United States
volunteered, about on par with the overall percentage of Americans who volunteered that year.”
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R1 – Identical amount of students volunteer (Melody Brumble – USA Today)
Brumble (USA Today). Fewer college students volunteer their time. Accessed 3/5/2015. Published 1/22/2012.
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/education/story/2012-01-22/college-students-volunteering/52744806/1.
The percentage of college students who volunteer is declining, reflecting an overall drop in volunteerism nationally. In
2010, 26.1 percent of college students around the United States volunteered, about on par with the overall percentage of
Americans who volunteered that year. College student volunteerism peaked at 31.2 percent in 2004, according to the
Corporation for National and Community Service. The organization doesn't compile college volunteer statistics for Louisiana
because of small sample sizes. However, the state ranked 47 among the states and the District of Columbia in the
percentage of people volunteering in 2010. Shreveport-Bossier City had a higher rate that year, with one in four people
volunteering, compared to a statewide average of one in five.
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A2: Decreased Crime
1. The majority of educational crime reduction happens in high school education, not in college. A lot of studies
conclude that college education decreases crime, but completion of high school is what is necessary.
 (Teacher’s College – Columbia University): increasing the high school completion rate by 1 percent would help
the US save 1.4 billion dollars in crime related money. Also, a 10% increase in high school graduation rates would
decrease murder by 20% and arson by 8%.
2. The majority of crime studies do not take into consideration state crime policies, which affect rates more than
education
 (Enrico Moretti – UCLA): the exclusion of state policies can make it seem like education is the root cause of
decreased criminal activity. However, when state policies are actually considered, they seem to have a large
effect
3. College campuses are filled with crime in the first place.
 (Health and Counseling Department – Roger Williams University): 1 in 5 female college students are sexually
assaulted while on a college campus.
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R1 – High school is the main source of crime education that occurs (Teacher’s College at Columbia University)
Teacher’s College (Columbia University). [Website Title]. Accessed [Date]. Published [Date]. [URL].






Increasing the high school completion rate by just 1 percent for all men ages 20-60 would save the U.S. up to $1.4
billion per year in reduced costs from crime.
A one-year increase in average years of schooling reduces murder and assault by almost 30%, motor vehicle theft
by 20%, arson by 13% and burglary and larceny by about 6%.
Extrapolating from current high school graduation rates and arrest rates, a 10% increase in graduation rates would
potentially reduce murder and assault arrest rates by about 20%, motor vehicle theft by about 13% and arson by
8%.
Had high school graduation rates in 1990 been 1% higher, an estimated 400 fewer murders and 8,000 fewer
assaults would have taken place. Nearly 100,000 fewer crimes would have taken place overall.
The current difference in the education levels of white and black men accounts for 23% of the higher incarceration
rates for black men.
The direct costs of one year of high school were about $6,000 per student in 1990. Society has since lost between
$1,170-$2,100 per year in costs of crime for each male non-graduate from that year.
R2 – State policies affect crime rates also and thus provide alternate causality to reductions in crime (Enrico
Moretti–UCLA)
Moretti (UCLA). [Website Title]. Accessed [Date]. Published [Date]. [URL].
For example, individuals with high criminal returns or discount rates are likely to spend much of their time engaged in crime
rather than work regardless of their educational background. To the extent that schooling does not raise criminal returns,
there is little reward to finishing high school or attending college for these individuals. As a result, we might expect a
negative correlation between crime and education even if there is no causal effect of education on crime. State policies
may induce bias with the opposite sign.
R3 – 1 in 5 female students result in sexual crime (Roger Williams University)
[Author] (Roger Williams University). [Website Title]. Accessed [Date]. Published [Date]. [URL].
Women and girls are the vast majority of victims: nearly 1 in 5 women – or nearly 22 million – have been raped in their
lifetimes. Men and boys, however, are also at risk: 1 in 71 men – or almost 1.6 million – have been sexually assaulted during
their lives. Young people are especially at risk: The majority of sexual assault victims are young between the ages of 16 and
24. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 80% of female victims were sexually assaulted before
they turned 25. College students are particularly vulnerable, with 1 in 5 women being sexually assaulted while in college.
Other populations are also at higher risk of being sexually assaulted, including people with disabilities and the LGBT
community. Most victims know their assailants: 51% of female victims were sexually assaulted by a current or former
intimate partner, and 41% were sexually assaulted by an acquaintance. Assault by strangers , in contrast, accounts for only
14% of the total. Of men and boys, 52% report being sexually assaulted by an acquaintance and 15% by a stranger.
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A2: Democracy
1. Though more people are enrolling, empirically voter turnout has plummeted.
 (Jose Delreal – Washington Post): finds that voting rates has been plummeting every year since the elections of
1964. In the last 2014 midterm election, only 36.4% of all eligible voters casted their ballots, and this is the lowest
turnout since WWII.
2. College students in general have shown a trend of becoming less politically engaged.
 (UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute): Political activism has decreased by 5% in the past few decades
across all college campuses in America.
3. Turn: Community college students don’t have the faculty or resources to become civically engaged (talk about
quality contention.)
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COMMUNAL GAINS
R1 – Voter Turnout Plummeting (Jose Delreal–Washington Post)
Jose Delreal. “Voter Turnout in 2014 was the lowest since WWII” Nov. 10, 2014. The Washington Post
General election voter turnout for the 2014 midterms was the lowest it's been in any election cycle since World War II,
according to early projections by the United States Election Project. Just 36.4 percent of the voting-eligible population cast
ballots as of last Tuesday, continuing a steady decline in midterm voter participation that has spanned several decades. The
results are dismal, but not surprising -- participation has been dropping since the 1964 election, when voter turnout was at
nearly 49 percent. The last time voter turnout was so low during a midterm cycle was in 1942, when only 33.9 percent of
eligible voters cast ballots.
R2 – Less Political Activism in College Campuses (Huffington post)
Huffington Post. “New Study: College Students Increasingly Liberal, Yet Less Politically Active” January 26, 2012
The Occupy College protests and demonstrations against college tuition-hikes on campuses across the country may paint a
portrait of an increasingly liberal and engaged U.S. student population, but that portrait would only be half right. A new
study shows that college freshmen do indeed hold more liberal views than ever before on social issues like same-sex
marriage, abortion, and immigration rights. But today's students are not necessarily motivated to act on these views.
Findings of research released today by the Cooperative Institutional Research Program at UCLA's Higher Education Research
Institute show that leaning further left does not translate to heightened political activity or enthusiasm about national
politics among college freshmen. When the same survey was conducted in 1997, just over half of respondents said that
they supported same-sex marriage, whereas the most recent survey found that a record of 71 percent of college freshmen
support same-sex marriage. The most recent findings of UCLA's "American Freshman" poll -- which has been conducted
since 1966 -- also showed that 49 percent of freshmen believe that marijuana should be legalized, as opposed to 45 percent
in 2008. Yet the survey showed that increasingly liberalism did not correlate with higher levels of political engagement. Only
10 percent of freshmen surveyed said that they had worked on a local, state-wide, or national campaign during the past
year, down from as high as 15 percent at different points over the past four decades. The survey also looked at students'
reasons for attending college and attitudes toward higher education, finding that more students than ever cite job concerns
as their main objective of pursuing higher education.
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COMMUNAL GAINS
A2: Health
1. People get their knowledge about health from high school
 (Author – United States Department of Health and Human Services): additionally, people don’t take health
classes in college.
2. College doesn’t fix health literacy
 (Author – United States Department of Health and Human Services):
3. Easier to gain health knowledge from TV than college
 (Author – United States Department of Health and Human Services):
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COMMUNAL GAINS
R1 – Health Knowledge is obtained in high school; also, don’t learn health in college (Author – United States
Department of Health and Human Services)
[Author] (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services). National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy. Accessed 3/5/2015. Published 2010. [URL].
Start with improving general education: – Read to your children every day and improve your own literacy skills. – Encourage
teens to graduate from high school, and support them if they need help. – Participate in activities that involve the whole
family in Kindergarten to Grade 12 curriculum to reinforce what is learned in the classroom. – Advocate for quality
education for all students in the community to help ensure that all students graduate with the skills they need to be healthy
adults. – If you need to improve your literacy and English language skills, enroll in GED, English for speakers of other
languages and other skill-building courses. If classes are full, advocate for more resources for these classes in your
community.
R2 – Non Unique – people at college still have bad health literacy (Author – United States Department of
Health and Human Services)
[Author] (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services). National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy. Accessed 3/5/2015. Published 2010. [URL].
Limited health literacy affects adults in all racial and ethnic groups. The proportion of adults with basic or below basic
health literacy ranges from 28 percent of white adults to 65 percent of Hispanic adults. Although half of adults without a
high school education had below basic health literacy skills, even high school and college graduates can have limited health
literacy. Compared to privately insured adults, both publicly insured and uninsured adults had lower health literacy skills.
R3 – More Likely to get health information from television than college (Author – United States Department of
Health and Human Services)
[Author] (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services). National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy. Accessed 3/5/2015. Published 2010. [URL].
All adults, regardless of their health literacy skills, were more likely to get health information from radio/television,
friends/family, and health professionals than from print media.
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INDICTS
Indicts
A2: Gates Foundation
1. Service size for the study is horrible. They also admit a huge rate of error. Specifically,
 (Public Agenda): “with 614 young adults aged 22 to 30 years old who have experience with some post-secondary
education. The interviews averaged 26 minutes in length and were offered in both English and Spanish.”
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INDICTS
R1 – Gates Foundation – It’s a stupid telephone interview (Author – Public Agenda)
[Author] (Public Agenda). With their Whole Lives Ahead of Them. Accessed 3/5/2015. Published 2015. http://www.publicagenda.org/pages/with-theirwhole-lives-ahead-of-them-methodology.
Telephone interviews were conducted from May 7 – June 24, 2009, with 614 young adults aged 22 to 30 years old who have
experience with some post-secondary education. The interviews averaged 26 minutes in length and were offered in both
English and Spanish. The response rate for the study was 27 percent for the landline portion of the sample; it was 29
percent for the cell phone sample. The margin of error for the report is plus or minus 4.8 percentage points. However, it is
higher when comparing subgroups or question items that weren’t asked of all respondents.
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INDICTS
A2: Stuart Butler
2. The one fifth statistics cites a study which finds that tuition is the second highest cost of attending a community
college
 (Author – American Association of Community Colleges): In the graph, it clearly shows that it is the second
biggest cost following room and board.
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INDICTS
R1 – Second highest Cost (American Association of Community Colleges)
(American Assocaition of Community Colleges). American Association of Community Colleges. Accessed 3/5/2015. Published November 2014.
http://www.aacc.nche.edu/Publications/datapoints/Documents/StudentExpenses_Nov2014.pdf.
[Total Cost of Community College: $16,325
Cost of tuition: $3,347
Cost of Room and Board: $7,705
Cost of Books and Supplies: $1,328
Cost of Transportation: $1,735
Other: $2,210]
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INDICTS
A2: Light Study
1. No warrant behind the numbers and she lacks causality
 Use A2: Dropouts make money to explain why her numbers make no sense. The majority of community college
level jobs require a degree and the more specialized one becomes, the more important educational completion
becomes. Use the nursing example.
 Also, she looks to people who drop out, but not people who drop out and do not then gain on the job training.
Job training is a prerequisite for particular jobs. Thus, the fact that they went to community college is not what is
getting them hired, but rather these dropouts go into job training programs and then get hired.
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INDICTS
A2: Denning Study
1. He only looks to 5 small communities in Texas and does not conduct a national study. Nor does he explain why these
small communities can be extrapolated on a national level
2. TURN: Denning concedes that under matching occurs within the conclusion of his study when he says that students
transfer from a 4 year college to a community college. Extend the offense that you have related to under matching.
3. Denning admits that he doesn’t control for other factors.
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INDICTS
R1 – Denning looks to 5 communities (Jeff Guo–Washington Post)
Guo (Washington Post). [Website Title]. Accessed [Date]. Published [Date]. [URL].
Denning looked at five communities in Texas where, over time, more and more districts joined a college’s tax base —
meaning that more and more students became eligible for lower tuition at that college. The discounts varied, but in
general, costs were cut in half. Students paid about $1,124 less each year.
R2 – Denning concedes to under-matching (Denning–UT Austin)
Denning (UT Austin). [Website Title]. Accessed [Date]. Published [Date]. [URL].
Overall, students do not switch from four-year college to community college as a result of price decreases but rather switch
to attending from not enrolling in college. However, there is important heterogeneity by race in the response to reduced
community college tuition with racial minorities initially diverting attendance from universities to community colleges. For
students induced to attend community college, educational attainment is increased as measured by bachelor’s degree
receipt and credits attempted. Increased educational attainment occurs for students who switch to community college
attendance from both not enrolling in college as well as from attending a university.
R3 – Denning – Admits that other factors aren’t accounted for (Jeffrey Denning – UT Austin)
Denning (UT Austin). [Website Title]. Accessed [Date]. Published [Date]. [URL].
However, these studies should be interpreted with caution as they may capture other factors like changing policy objectives
of states rather than changes in community college enrollment caused by changes in community college costs.
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