what problem is this intended to solve?

http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2007/07/02/free_tuition_not_a_cure_all_warn_mass_educators/

why offer free tuition? kids who can't afford higher education but want to go have options of loans, grants, scholarships and other financial assistance. how many kids will use free tuition as an excuse to put off the 'real world' for 2 more years and party a bit more? should higher education be free? or does even the token cost of admission of a few thousand a year serve a valuable role in itself? isn't there a lesson here that things worth having are worth working for? i'm not opposed to making higher education accessible to those who want it ... but i think there should be costs associated with it whether those come in the form of tuition, community service, student loans, charitable work post graduation. is there a benefit to society to put kids in a 2 year program just because they opt to? why do we need to make higher education free? what problem does this solve? right now, it sounds like a 'nice thing to do' ... but (being self-centered for a minute since it will be my tax dollars funding this ... instead of funding my child's education) where's the benefit to me?

-s