Stasis Grid

Author Info

Source Type

Categorical Does

Definitional

Causal

Evaluation

Action

Jurisdiction

Up to three names,
write them all; 4+,
write first name et
al. (i.e., Smith et
al.)

(popular,
scholarly, trade,
government)

X exist?

Is X a Y?

Does X cause Y?
Is Y a result of X?

Is it good or bad?
Fair or unfair?
Harmful or
beneficial?

What should be
done about X?

Who is responsible?

1. Martin,
James (English
Professor) and
James E.
Samels
(Founder of the
Education
Alliance)

Popular

There are
no free
lunches

Because
community
colleges
will no
longer
make
profits,
they wont
be able to
innovate

Free
community
college is
more
harmful than
simply
improving
alreadyexisting
programs

Taxpayers
shouldnt
have to pay
for other
peoples
educations

2. Mason,
Elisabeth (CEO
at Single Stop
USA)

Popular

The influx of
people who
would now
attend
community
college is a
problem
Will Charter
Colleges
become a
problem?
Community
college is an
essential
stepping stone
for many
minorities

College is
the new
high school

If we make
community
college
free, the
US public
will
become
more
educated

States will
achieve
free
community
college one
their own
and at
different
times

3. McGuire,
Jeff (Journalist
for
CollegeView)

Popular

The benefits
of a college
education are
innumerable
College is
essential since

Attending

college
allows you
to make
more
connections

Free
community
college is
fair since
everyone
will have
access and
povertystricken
people will
finally have
a chance at
achieving
stability
Giving
everyone the
same
opportunity
to attend
something

Communit
y college
should be
made free

Students
are
responsible
for their
own debt

Stasis Grid

4. Wheeling,
Kate (Journalist
for Pacific
Standard)

Popular

its where you

meet new
people and
truly discover
yourself
Taking
advantage of
these
scholarship
and grant
opportunities
can decrease
the necessity
for a loan to
finance your
education in
the first
place.
Free
community
college will
help students
graduate with
less debt
College
graduates
make more
money than
their high
school
counterparts

College
debt is
societys
problem,
not just an
individual
s

, which
furthers
your own
career
A college
degree
leads to
more job
opportuniti
es

Higher
education
is
correlated
with
lifestyle
changes
that end up
costing
society less
for health
costs,
crime, and
unemploy
ment

as lifealtering as
college is
fair

Free
community
college is
extremely
beneficial to
both
individuals
and society

Students
must
maintain a
minimum
GPA of 2.5
to remain
free

Stasis Grid
5. Yglesias,
Matthew
(Blogger/Journ
alist)

Popular

6. Hosansky,
David
(Freelance
Writer)

Scholarly

Most poor
kids cant get
into a fouryear college,
and those who
can get a
pretty good
financial deal
A college
degree is a
commodity
Most kids
attending
college are
from families
with aboveaverage
incomes
Other sectors
of education,
such as
preschool
need more
funding
Community
colleges strive
to open the
doors to all
high school
students, even
those that
struggle
academically
$3,500 per
year is already
cheap enough

Partitioning
more
money to
community
colleges
will result
in less
given to
other
education
sectors

Its unfair to
fund
community
colleges
without
funding
other
education
sectors

More
money
should be
given to
preschool,
not
community
college

Attending
community
college
may lead to
attending a
four-year
university

With weaker
academic
backgrounds
, its not fair
for
community
college
students to
get free
tuition, but
not students
at a four-

Communit
y colleges
should
offer fouryear
degrees

Society is
responsible
for
financing
some
education,
but not
community
college

Stasis Grid
year college

7. Quarles,
Laurie
(Legislative
Associate at
American
Association of
Community
Colleges)

Popular

8. McKinney,
Lyle (Assistant
Professor of
Higher
Education)

Scholarly

The Higher
Education Act
(HEA)
represent
access and
success for
millions of
students
With 58% of
students
already
receiving
college aid, is
it necessary to
even make
community
college free?
Loans
contribute to
momentum
and success
Everyone
takes out loans
all the time, at
least a college
loan is a good
investment
Many students
refuse to pay
their loans

Making
community
college free
may result
in a
significant
increase in
students
not
graduating

Taking out
loans
results in
more
motivation
to finish
college

Its not fair

that some
students
have to
spend over
$100,000
just to
achieve their
educational
goals

Free
community
college
would
result in a
reduction
in other aid
(such as
Pell
Grants)

Should
taxpayers
be
responsible
to help
fund stuff
like a Pell
Grant?

Loans
should
improve a
students
long-term
financial
well-being

Students
are
responsible
for their
own
loans/decisi
ons
Students
should be
more
educated
on how
loans may

Stasis Grid
back anyways

9. Phelan,
Daniel
(President of
Jackson
College)

Scholarly

Funding varies
by state
depending on
what tax
sectors they
believe should
help pay

Funding also
varies across
different
programs
depending on
what is
deemed

necessary at
the time
Community
colleges
havent had a
steady revenue
fund over the
pasty few
decades
Unless
community
colleges are
more funded,
they must
move from a

Is
community
college the
new
Blockbuste
r?
Comprehen
sive
Institutions
: Offer a
wide range
of degree
programs
Niche
Institutions
: Limited
enrollment
and offer
only offer a
few
specialized
programs

When
Michigan
offered two
years of
community
college for
free,
enrollment
quickly
increased,
but then
fell
significantl
y due to
lack of
funding to
keep up

Unless they
begin to get
funded,
community
colleges
will need to
evolve into
niche
institutions

impact
them
We should
consider
changing
the federal
loan policy
Taxpayers
will get the
ultimate
burden
since the
money will
be drawn
from the
tax pool

Stasis Grid
comprehensi
ve institution
towards a
niche
institution
10. Mayers,
Larry D.
(Journalist for
Community
College
Review)

Scholarly

Since being
established,
Tennessee has
allocated
money to
community
colleges based
on
performance

11. Kelderman,
Eric (Staff
reporter at The
Chronicle of
Higher
Education)

Popular

Many students
cant afford
community
college not
only due to
tuition, but
also due to
lost revenue
from not
immediately
working
The Tennessee
Promise (for
now) is simply
a backup plan;
students are
signing up,
but still going
to a four-year

A last
dollar
scholarship
is one that
covers any
additional
costs once
the student
already
receives
other aid

Giving
community
colleges
money
based on
performanc
e has lead
to an
overall
increase in
quality
An increase
in
enrollment
doesnt
necessarily
equate to
an increase
in people
who
graduate
with a
degree

Its fairest to
give
community
colleges
money
based off of
how well
they
perform

There has
been an
increase in
enrollment
in Tennessee
community
colleges
The
Tennessee
Promise
may be
attracting
the wrong
students
(those who
were going
to go to a
four-year
college)

Communit
y college
should be
made free
to help
encourage
college
attendance
and
completion
Governor
Haslam is
proposing
$260
million for
improving
community
colleges,
too

Taxpayers;
the money
has come
from tax
revenues

The money
comes from
state lottery
proceeds,
not tax
revenues

Stasis Grid
if they get in

12. Nutting,
Andrew
(Assistant
Professor of
Economics)

13. Tumulty,
Brian (Reporter
for several
newspapers)

Scholarly

Popular

Higher tuition
costs for fouryear colleges
results in
greater
enrollment for
two-year
colleges,
suggesting
that two-year
colleges are
financial
stepping
stones

Obamas plan
will cost $60
billion over
ten years to
cover the
costs
Obama:
Community
colleges are
essential

Higher
two-year
tuition
actually
results in
greater
dropout
rates
Higher
tuition at
four-year
colleges
results in
an
improveme
nt of
student
quality at
two-year
colleges

Its fair for

society to
pay for an
individuals
education
since only
certificates
in demand
(by local
employers)

Make
tuition
cheaper as
someone
gets closer
to earning
their
degree

Increasing
capital
gains tax to
28% for
couples
with an
income of
over $500k
(and other
tax

Taxpayers

Stasis Grid
pathways to
the middle
class

14. Bellin,
Judah
(Associate
Editor of the
Manhattan
Institutes
Minding the
Campus)

Popular

We shouldnt

encourage
enrollment
into something
as broken as
our
community
college system
Community
college is
already a
cheap
alternative
free is
unnecessary

Communit
y college
doesnt
lead to
four-year
universities
(only 2025% move
on)

will be free
Its a lost
cause
Republicans
would never
agree to
another tax

proposals)

Lets
instead
spend
money on
improving
our
community
college
system
We must
give more
money to
colleges
with a good
track
record;
otherwise
its a waste
of
money/bad
investment
Loans
should get
smaller and
unsubsidize
d after the
first four
years to
help

Students
pay for
their own
education
and
bettering
community
colleges

Stasis Grid
students
graduate
more
quickly

15. Lee, John

(Writer for the
National
Center for
Postsecondary
Governance
and Finance)

Scholarly
(Book)

Increases in
college tuition
have (in 1988)
exceeded
inflation
Public funding
for education
increased after
WWII, but
had eroded by
the mid-1970s

Is cost
containmen
t in higher
education
the same as
cost
containmen
t in the
health care
industry?

Since
community
colleges
dont
compete
for
students,
they dont
have to
subsidize
scholarship
s by
charging
other
students
more,
lowering
their tuition
more than
that of four
year
universities
As state
income
declines,
tuition rises

Is price
discriminati
on for
college
tuition fair?

Two
potential
approaches
: Allow the
federal
governmen
t to take
control
through
regulation
or for the
federal
governmen
t to
continuousl
y call
attention to
the issue

Increases in
tuition puts
pressure on
federal
student
loan
expenditure
s
Students
paying full
tuition are
actually
subsidizing
for students
with
scholarship
s