Dive Brief:
- A Gallup/Inside Higher Ed poll asked 523 college and university presidents what they thought of a proposal to provide states with $18 billion in matching awards to pay for free public higher education.
- The poll was conducted before Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) fleshed out his plan and before Hillary Clinton announced her own, but exactly half of respondents said they either strongly or somewhat favor the plan.
- Broken down by sector, 71% of public college/university presidents favor the plan while only 28% of their counterparts at private institutions do the same, according to Inside Higher Ed.
Dive Insight:
Clinton’s proposal to make higher education free offered more money than Sanders’ original plan, and it also provided for at least a minimal flow of dollars to private institutions. In general, these plans lay out a system for free public education, focusing on community colleges and public four-years. There is a hesitancy to prop up the private college sector with more federal funding, considering the tuition at private schools is often significantly more. Only 11% of surveyed respondents think debt-free college will be adopted within four years. If the plan were adopted, it could have far-reaching effects on the industry.