Free College Won’t be Enough to Prepare Americans for the Future of Work

The most common responses that Democratic candidates have given to questions about rising inequality have focused on either “free college” or enhancing college access more broadly. Several have referenced the need to invest more in skills training for the new economy, but the headline-grabbing proposals have come from Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, who emphasize free tuition for public universities and two-year colleges. In this report, the author argues why free college and college access proposals are not enough.