Debated a friend on tuition free education, he raised a good point...

I explained the enormous benefits to the economy and our working class, and how having the same number of seats at a college would promote competition between colleges for the brightest students. He seemed somewhat swayed, but he did have a good point. If colleges get their funding from the government regardless, where is their incentive to provide a good education?

I put forward that if the end result is still the same degree, the quality wouldn't bother me as anything is better than paying $40,000 for it. And also that the government would likely have standardized tests to keep colleges in line. I think those are fair points, but where is the zinger I'm missing here?

EDIT/CONCLUSION: The answer seems to be that if you're going to college for free, it would be on mostly high school performance or merit so you're not going to fuck around. The colleges provide the best education for their reputation, performance, and accreditation. The part I was missing was the accreditation.

Thanks for everyone's input!