On Friday, New York became the first state in the country to offer four years of college tuition-free to its residents.

As reported by the Daily Signal:

Starting in the fall of 2017, any student from a family who is making less than $100,000 annually can qualify for free tuition, under certain conditions, such as a requirement to maintain a minimum grade point average and commit to living and working in New York for four years after graduation.

We set out to do this nationally, but thrilled that New York is getting it done. Let's hope it's the first of many. Text College to 81336. https://t.co/XTmjMm2g2u

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) April 12, 2017

Let's celebrate New York State getting something important done that we wanted to do nationally. A great step for progressives. https://t.co/CmUZ8njtWF

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) April 8, 2017

New York Governor Chris Cuomo, with Hillary Clinton by his side, smiled for the camera as if this program is a great thing. They fail to mention that taxpayers are going to get stuck footing the bill for it all.

The bill being handed off to taxpayers leads us to the most apt quote possible from Education Secretary Betsy DeVos: “There’s nothing in life that’s truly free.”

Recent economic studies have found that when colleges offer decreased tuition or a plethora of federal aid to students, they are forced to raise tuition prices to make up for their monetary costs.

New York’s proposed budget plan for 2017 combines state taxpayer-funded grants with federal Pell Grants, which is consequential in that studies have shown it forces tuition rates to rise by as much as 40 cents on the dollar.

With the program set to phase out over the next three years, it is expected to cost taxpayers upwards of $163 million in the first year alone.

Some private colleges have voiced their concerns that tuition-free public universities will have an effect on their enrollment, forcing them to raise their tuition.

The entire plan will effect everyone in a bad way except the people getting free college for four years that others are paying for.

New York’s taxpayer-financed tuition ensures that others will be on the hook for college costs for many years to come as the cost of tuition will only continue to rise.

This reckless plan feeds the notion that you no longer have to work for what you want anymore, and that you can just depend on others to pay for your college and career.

Policymakers would be correct to offer students other means of financial relief, but free college is going to decimate schools in the area as well as taxpayers for many years.

Handouts of this magnitude are always going to be a very bad idea. New York will realize that going forward.