Some believes that higher education should be commodified as it maintains the

quality of skilled graduates; however, some argues that the commodification of

higher education causes problems of inequality, such as accessibility, in many
developed countries. Due to these problems, a free tertiary education policy is
proposed as the solution. On the contrary, this solution will inflict another
problem of inequality in terms of unfair allocation of students in the universities.
Therefore, an alternative, potential solution is needed.
By having a free tertiary education policy, it might solve a problem of inequality
in terms of affordance for the poorer individuals. Nonetheless, the policy,
ironically, causes another problem of inequality in terms of unfair allocation to
unqualified students instead of qualified ones. This policy opens doors to not only
qualified individuals but also not qualified students. In fact, this solution is not
feasible and widens inequality (Cloete, 2016). The policy will further worsen due
to the influx of non-qualified students; thus, making higher education not
valuable overtime (Pettinger, 2017). Higher education will not be valued as
qualifications are no longer necessary to be eligible to enter universities.
Subsequently, having non-qualified students will lead to a decrease in skilled
graduates in the long run.
Consequently, an alternative, potential solution to counter the problems of
inequality is by providing scholarships and financial assistance schemes that are
targeted to poorer, yet qualified students. The scholarships and schemes should
be funded by the government and reduce the school fees to be affordable to
poorer students. More scholarships and schemes should be set up and available
in poorer provinces or states. This solution is more effective as it targets and
narrows down to solving affordability for poorer individuals and maintaining the
intake of students who are eligible to enter universities, rather than allowing
accessibility to unqualified students.
All in all, a free tertiary education policy is an inefficient solution as it allows
accessibility to any individual who may be unqualified to attain higher education
which then leads to unfair allocation to unqualified students instead of qualified
ones into universities. Hence, a better solution, such as providing scholarships
and financial assistance schemes, should be in place as it focuses in providing
equality for poorer, yet qualified individuals. This solution will reduce the
problems of inequality and additionally, maintain the value of education; thus,
having more skilled graduates in the long run.