New Mexico approved free college and people are calling on all states to follow their lead

New Mexico has passed the most wide-ranging free college legislation of any U.S. state.
The student loan crisis that has been brewing for decades has reached a fever pitch in the U.S. The cost of college tuition has been on a steep upward trajectory since 1980, far outpacing wages and resulting in many student borrowers being buried in mountains of debt they have little chance of repaying.
Since 1980, college costs have increased by 169% \u2014 while earnings for workers between the ages of 22 and 27 have increased by just 19%...source: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/02/the-gap-in-college-costs-and-earnings-for-young-workers-since-1980.html\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/UGBq8Vwi2e— Caroline Schagrin (@Caroline Schagrin) 1637606950
In fact, many students end up not making a dent in their loans, even after paying on them for years. One report found that even among students who made voluntary payments to their Navient loans during the student loan payment freeze, 63% were "underwater," meaning they owe more on their loans than what they originally borrowed. Some even owe more than 150% of the original loan amount. And these are people who are actively trying to pay down their loans, making payments when they technically didn't even have to.
It's truly a crisis, which is why we saw such a push for student loan forgiveness being put on the agenda during the 2020 election. That hasn't happened, but at least one state is taking a big step toward mitigating the college debt problem.
New Mexico has passed a bill that makes all in-state public and tribal colleges—both 2-year and 4-year—free for all residents, as long as they enroll in at least six credits and maintain a GPA of 2.5. That means residents can take classes part-time or full-time without worrying about tuition.
The New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship Act, which Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed into law March 4, makes New Mexico the first state to waive tuition for all public colleges and universities, regardless of a family's income. Some states offer free community college programs and a handful of states have state-sponsored scholarships for some students at state universities. New Mexico has just upped the game, waiving tuition across the board.
And people are loving it.
The signing of the law was received as "good news" by those who advocate for affordable higher education.
Some bright news during these dark times: New Mexico has become the first US state to implement state-wide tuition-free college! Can't believe so little attention was paid to this monumental achievement.https://twitter.com/GovMLG/status/1499876403885395969\u00a0\u2026— Austin \u738b\u4e4b\u822a \ud83c\udf39\ud83c\udf4a \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Austin \u738b\u4e4b\u822a \ud83c\udf39\ud83c\udf4a \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1646714075
Hey! Yes, you. \nStop your doom scrolling. \nAll we seem to hear about are the terrible, inhumane, cruel laws republicans pass, but while we were busy doom scrolling, NEW MEXICO JUST SIGNED INTO LAW a bill that makes COLLEGE TUITION FREE!— Hairball \ud83c\udd98\ud83c\udf0a \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \u0423\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0457\u043d\u0430 \u043d\u0430\u0437\u0430\u0432\u0436\u0434\u0438 \ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc9b\ud83c\udf3b (@Hairball \ud83c\udd98\ud83c\udf0a \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \u0423\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0457\u043d\u0430 \u043d\u0430\u0437\u0430\u0432\u0436\u0434\u0438 \ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc9b\ud83c\udf3b) 1646697122
Good News Alert:\n\nThe state of New Mexico has signed a bill to make college tuition free.\n\nIt will waive tuition for any students attending any in-state public school or tribal college, including community colleges.\n\nSome 35,000 students are expected to benefit this year alone.pic.twitter.com/Q8oqLKqxQT— Goodable (@Goodable) 1646792704
Some asked why all states or the federal government don't do the same.
It's not an unheard-of idea, by any means. More than a handful of countries in Europe and some in South America, Africa and Southeast Asia offer free college education.
If New Mexico can make college tuition free, why can\u2019t all states do this ? Why can\u2019t , or why won\u2019t @POTUS pick up that pen and #CancelStudentDebt for all , not just some?pic.twitter.com/QcyTYuTytb— Lisa Johnson (@Lisa Johnson) 1646701704
It\u2019s official! Free CollegeForAll!\n\nThank you, @GovMLG. Now it\u2019s time to make public college free, nationwide!https://kvia.com/news/new-mexico/ap-new-mexico/2022/03/04/governor-signs-free-college-bill-expands-coverage/\u00a0\u2026— Rep. Melanie Stansbury (@Rep. Melanie Stansbury) 1646435692
In her speech given prior to signing the law, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham explained how the law will help provide flexibility and opportunity to people from all different backgrounds and circumstances and remove so many of the barriers that prevent people from getting the education they need or desire.
"College is too damn expensive," she said.
Indeed, it is. Congrats to New Mexico for this historic move to make higher education more accessible for everyone.
Watch Gov. Grisham speak at the 20:30 mark:
- Some college students can't afford dorm room basics. These moms ... ›
- Louis C.K., Chris Rock, and Barack Obama join forces to get free ... ›
- Jill Biden says president will 'make sure that everyone has access to ... ›
- Free college is becoming a reality across America as 30th state is set to pass funding bill - Upworthy ›
- Free college is becoming a reality across America as 30th state is set to pass funding bill - Upworthy ›
- Anonymous donor clears debt for over 100 college students - Upworthy ›
- Reaction of these twins when one gets into Harvard is wholesome - Upworthy ›
- Reaction of these twins when one gets into Harvard is wholesome - Upworthy ›
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."