West Virginia to Offer Free College Programs for Students Who Pass a Drug Test
“the state will pay for your tuition to earn an associate’s degree or training certificate”
This is undoubtedly going to make some people angry . . . because of the drug test.
CBS News reports:
In West Virginia, free college — after students pass a drug test
West Virginia has a deal for students who want to better themselves with a college degree: Starting July 1, you can enroll in one of the state’s local community colleges — and the state will pay for your tuition to earn an associate’s degree or training certificate. But here’s the catch: The students must first pass a drug test before each semester.
West Virginia isn’t alone in rolling out free tuition programs, a trend that has spread to 19 U.S. states during the past five years, according to a June report from progressive think tank Century Foundation. But in addition to some typical requirements, such as achieving a certain GPA, the Appalachian state is alone in requiring its students to also pass a drug test to qualify for free tuition, according to education publication Inside Higher Education.
West Virginia’s free tuition program — and its unusual hitch — reflect two social trends that policymakers say are taking a toll on the economy. First, the rising cost of a college degree has burdened more than 40 million Americans with $1.6 trillion in student debt, hobbling their chances to save to buy a home or car. Second, the opioid crisis, which has sapped the U.S. economy of $1 trillion from 2001 to 2017, has hit West Virginia especially hard.
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Comments
Good for West Virginia!
Sounds like vain virtue-signaling, and the bureaucratic delight in annoying anyone trying to do something useful.
Second, the opioid crisis, which has sapped the U.S. economy of $1 trillion from 2001 to 2017, has hit West Virginia especially hard.
Does anyone seriously claim that once-a-semester drug tests of a tiny portion of the populace are going to have even a minuscule effect on this?
It’s a start and infinitely better than nothing.
It’s a start and infinitely better than nothing.
You are confused. The goal of the test is not to solve the opioid crisis. It is to curb the wasting of education funds on those who are not functional enough to abstain for a test once every 4-8 months.
That lack of minimal self control indicates severe addiction and would be counterproductive (adds stressors to the life of a severe addict who may or may not find a way to use the free college money to support their out of control habit)