Millennial Congresswoman: Free college isn’t working in New York

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) is the youngest women in history to serve in the United States Congress. Elected at age 30, she is now in her second term at age 33. Stefanik is aware of the day-to-day challenges millennials face and serves as the voice for young people by heading up the House GOP Millennial Task Force. In an interview with Red Alert Politics, she discussed the concerns she sees with college affordability and student loan debt.

Free college programs have seen a spike in popularity following Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign. This fall, Stefanik’s home state of New York now offers free tuition for in-state residents who attend the New York State or City college. The program costs the state millions and Stefanik warns against this free-for-all type of spending.

“Well, you’re going to have to pay for it somehow, and often times that translates into higher taxes and a bigger portion of the budget. I do think that it hasn’t worked as it was proposed in New York state,” she said.

Studies have shown that free college solutions are costly and often help traditional students, more so than providing additional resources to low-income students who utilize already existing aid to cover the cost of college. Non-traditional students are defined as students who need the most financial assistance as undergraduates who often have dependents or work full-time and attend school part-time.

More