Imagine having to pay no tuition until you have a “real person” job. Awesome, right? With the “Pay it Forward, Pay it Back” plan, that could be a reality for college students in Oregon. On Friday, the Oregon state legislature approved this free tuition plan for community and public universities in the state.
In this program, students receive free tuition during their college years. Then, they students pay back the state with a portion of their income post-graduation. For example, for 20 years after graduation, all four-year public university students will pay 3 percent of their incomes back to the government, while community college grads will pay 1.5 percent of their incomes.
Now that the plan has been approved, the state’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission will coordinate a pilot program to test out the program, before implementing it statewide.
While the “Pay it Forward, Pay it Back” plan doesn’t mean students get a completely free college education, it is definitely a step in the right direction to making higher education more affordable for everyone.