Posted on 01/08/2015 4:39:51 PM PST by 9thLife
President Barack Obama on Friday will propose making two years of community college free for students. In a White House video posted Thursday evening, Obama said he wanted to offer “a little preview” of his plans for the Jan. 20 State of the Union address.
“What I’d like to do is to see the first two years of community college free for everybody who’s willing to work for it,” Obama said. “It’s something we can accomplish, and it’s something that will train our workforce so that we can compete with anybody in the world.”
The proposal would make two years of community college free for students with a C+ average who attend school at least half-time and who are making “steady progress” toward their degree.
Obama will visit Pellissippi Community College in Tennessee on Friday. Beginning this year, any state high school graduate is eligible for two years of free community college tuition under the Tennessee Promise. Federal funding would cover three-quarters of the average cost of community college, and Obama is asking states to pick up the rest of the tab — assuming Congress agrees to the plan in the first place. “I hope we’ve got the chance to make sure that Congress gets behind these kinds of efforts to make sure that even as we rebound and grow in 2015, that it benefits everybody and not just some,” the president said in the video.
To be eligible, community colleges would have to offer academic programs that fully transfer credits to local public four-year colleges and universities or training programs with high graduation rates that lead to in-demand degrees and certificates. Community colleges must also adopt “promising and evidence-based institutional reforms” to improve student outcomes.
If all 50 states participate, the proposal could benefit 9 million students each year and save students an average of $3,800 in tuition, the White House said. Nirvi Shah contributed to this report.
Our local community colleges were very reasonably priced, but they were not free. Many students at 4-year schools during the regular school year (including me) would take community college courses in the summer.
Back in the 70s and 80s, community colleges provided good value and most of the faculty were decent educators.
My daughter has told me that a number of her friends with 4-year degrees are returning to community colleges to get various certifications and/or 2-year degrees because the community colleges provide curricula directly related to jobs.
Shame he wants to muck it up.
Pull your head out of your ass. Both my Daughter and wife graduated from C.C. one works in a fortune 500 Company H.Q. and the other transfered to a top 10 Technical University. All but 3 credits Transfered. She had many job offers before she graduated
I have many issues with C.C. having worked at one for over 30 years but I have also seen future Lawyers, judges, Doctors, Nurses and even politicians come thru.
C.C. generally have smaller classes and are taught by either Profs. Or professionals in their field with a minimum of a 4 year degree. How many classes with >50 students are taught in Universities by Prof. Assistants that have never done anything but school?
It’s free; no one is paying for it. /s
These schools are cheap now.
You think so huh? Actually Knoxville has several community colleges with good reputations including Pellissippi State. You get a much greater for the dollar education in actual field related studies and you don't have to suffer the mindless mandatory PC classes the universities demand.
Pellissippi has courses on anything from engineering to welding. This is because the State Voc/Tech was incorporated into Pellissippi as well. If I were a parent in East Tennessee {I'm a resident but kids are grown} and I had a choice to send them to the University of Tennessee of a local CC I would without second thought choose the community college.
UT a year or so ago forced all freshman to attend a lecture on Gorebull Warming and buy the speakers book even though the speaker was a journalist and not a scientist. That would be like having an Agriculture professional come in and lecture the Mechanical Engineering Dept on HVAC design.
Here are some local community colleges. Carson Newman, Walter State, Lincoln Memorial, Roane State, and others. Lincoln Memorial has just become an accredited law school. A degree from any of these colleges can get you a good paying job here. One or two I know have excellent Nursing Schools. RN and even LPN's around here make great money. The best part is an adult or even a kid working sling burgers can afford tuition for classes at Pellissippi State right now. They come out usually debt free vs tens of thousands for a typical university diploma.
Now as for pottery? Yes some local CC's do also offer "Non Credit" Courses in arts etc where no degree or credit is earned. There is no misrepresentation to that fact by the schools and it is generally more of a hobbyist aimed curriculum for those who just want to learn something for their own pleasure. The students in this case but not the state taxpayer pays the entire cost of these type courses. There are no grants, no scholarships, etc for those courses nor should there be.
If you have to ask, you are.....
The four-year universities will have a cow. Two cows. A herd!!
Why on earth would anyone go to a four-year school when they could go to a two-year for free?
bflr
Illegal migrant labor, diminished opportunity for noobs (i.e., no jobs,) so keep them busy after high school with free community college.
What a death spiral Marxism is...
“”Me too! I’m talkin’ the 60s here! I think!””
Same here!
“”Shame he wants to muck it up.””
The idiot just can’t help himself....His feet hardly touched ground yesterday in DC before he’s up and out of there again. If he wants “out” so bad, can’t we just manage his exit permanently from DC?
Who ever heard of campaigning for a State of the Union Speech??
“”Who ever heard of campaigning for a State of the Union Speech??””
You’re right. Makes you think that he travels with a bag full of speeches and he doesn’t have a clue who he’s talking to when he pulls one out of the satchel.. Remember the climate change speech he gave at West Point last year? I’m sure he really fired up those cadets!
Why do we continue to expect normality from this geek?
Try and transfer cc credits to a reputable 4 year college and see what you get. And show me a cc that does not offer pottery or ceramics.
The good thing is that we don’t have to pay for it,the states and feds will pick up the bill./s
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