Here's the link to my answer https://www.quora.com/Does-having-free-college-lessen-the-value-of-a-degree-If-college-is-free-what-would-be-the-difference-between-going-to-the-library-and-learning-the-same-material/answer/Annalisse-Mayer
Here's a transcript of what I said
Annalisse Mayer, Author Specializing in Autism Themed Novels at Novels (2001-present)
I
spoke with a taxi driver in NYC who was originally from Egypt and who
was an attorney in Egypt. He said that in Egypt there is no tuition, so
many people have useless degrees. It does not guarantee employment there
at all. He did not feel that he could make as good of a living as an
attorney in Egypt as he could as a cab driver in the USA.
I
studied in France, where tuition was also free. There, education was
essentially rationed, by triage. They weeded out students based on
competitive examinations and expelled large percentages of students
based on lower scores.
The
value of education in the USA has, in the past, come from scarcity.
There are currently too many college graduates and not enough people
with vocational education in the USA. As a result, there are shortages
of people in skilled trades. Unfortunately, entry into many of these
trades is governed by a corrupt old boy network.
Therefore, imho, free education will be worth less than education you have to pay for.
That
is not to say that it is worth nothing. If you are trying to get a job,
an employer is going to be much more impressed by a degree than by your
statement that you self-studied in a library.
If
you’re planning to start your own business, self-study might be
adequate, though, again, if you’re trying to get a small business loan
from a bank, they might like to see a degree as well.
