I actually don't think 'free' college is anti-meritocratic - quite the opposite.

I only say that to qualify for this you should have sterling academics.

The whole society benefits from the higher wages that come from having a skilled workforce. The economy booms due to higher real disposable income for starters.

Letting people in who really ( academically ) should not be there just wastes money and sets these people up for one more failure. Dropping standards to accommodate them also devalues the qualification in the first place leading to a higher degree arms race which in turn means that a lot of bright productive people end up joining the workforce much later than they should do which in turn reduces their potential lifetime earnings.

Become what you are