Posted on 01/09/2015 8:16:23 AM PST by Hardens Hollow
The Obama administration announced Thursday that it will propose two years of “free” community college for students maintaining a “C” or better, paid for by taxpayers. The federal government would finance three-quarters of the costs, and the administration says it hopes the remainder would be financed by states.
Just 20 percent of community college first-years complete their program within three years.
The White House claims the proposal will save students $3,800 per year in tuition costs. When asked about the cost of the proposal to taxpayers, however, the administration said it did not yet have a price tag, but that the cost would be “significant,” according to Politico. President Obama is expected to delineate more details of the plan in his Jan. 20 State of the Union address.
The administration’s proposal begs certain questions. Low-income students already have access to federal Pell Grants, which can be used to finance their tuition obligations at a community college. Indeed, the number of Pell recipients has doubled since 2008. So the proposal will serve as little more than a federal handout to the community college system.
And it’s a system that hasn’t exactly produced stellar outcomes. Just 20 percent of community college first-years complete their program within 150 percent of the standard time, according to the U.S. Department of Education. And, as the Cato Institute’s Neal McCluskey found: According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, only 20 percent of community college students transfer to four-year schools, and only 72 percent of those will have finished or remained enrolled four years later. So, from what we can tell, we are looking at completion for just around 34 percent of community college students.
And what is to prevent community colleges from escalating tuition and fees once the federal government – via taxpayers – begins paying the tab? The White House says the federal government will pay three-quarters of the costs of “average” tuition at community colleges, but we’ll most certainly see the cost of “average” increase in the years to come thanks to this new federal largesse.
Then there is the impact on the K-12 system. More than one-third of students have to take remedial courses when they enter college, as they leave high school unprepared for university-level work. Free community college would put even less pressure on high schools to produce graduates who are prepared for college-level work, as they could expect the new free community colleges to fill-in what the high schools are failing to do. The proposal is more likely to produce a six-year high school system than a two-year gratis workforce preparation experience.
The administration’s proposal is another step toward the White House’s goal of a “cradle-to-career” education system, starting with free preschool and now free community college. And then, even if a student does accrue debt in this new federally funded free-for-all, the administration has capped loan repayments at 10 percent of discretionary income, and any remaining balance is forgiven by the taxpayers after 20 years. And those benefits are even more generous for individuals who work in “public service,” largely defined as government jobs.
Once again, the administration is pursuing initiatives to subsidize rising costs, instead of working with Congress on policies that would actually address the driver of college cost increases: the open spigot of federal student aid. Over the past several decades, college costs have risen at more than twice the rate of inflation, thanks in large part to federal subsidies.
Allow markets in higher education to work by limiting federal subsidies instead of increasing them, and costs will fall for students attending colleges of all types.
Free community college is nothing but another distraction for the obama herd.
‘C’ or better?
That’s hardly any incentive (the ONLY benefit i see to it)
I have twins that just started college- as much as I dislike government spending, if it was there I would use it- and FORCE my children to get an ‘A’ if it was required, to save me $40,000
That being said, if BO supports it, this is just a deep hole to throw tax dollars into, and will have very little value. Theory is sound, reality makes it worthless.
But, but it’s Monopoly money.
This must be Teachers Union Payoff Week.
Thus rendering a community college education worthless.
Cloward-Piven, but also stupidity and makework.
Obama and crew confuse education with enrollment, just as they confuse insurance with access to medical care.
What they do want is to drain accumulated savings at the highest possible rate to distribute to their favored constituencies, at the same time expanding their sphere of control over all economic activity.
In their ideal world, no significant capital would ever be accumulated outside of government controlled enterprises, and no personal wealth would be accumulated except by members of the government and political establishment (which could be half to 3/4 of the population).
They say they are populist, but they are top=down command oriented, thru and thru.
It’s the Start of Obama’s plan to blame Congress ,I think Obama has put away his Pen and Phone now that Harry The Reid is out
“Thus rendering a community college education worthless”
Well, they’ve already made high schools worthless, so this is just the next step.
Obama is airborne now on his way here to Knoxville Tn., to make a speech at Pellissippi State Community College touting his magnificent plan. “It’s free folks. Free I tell you!”
Bingo. Fascism. Reagan said that when fascism comes to America, it will come in the form of liberalism. Such insight!
“Obama is airborne now on his way here to Knoxville Tn., to make a speech at Pellissippi State Community College touting his magnificent plan. “It’s free folks. Free I tell you!””
I hate having him that close to my new home (in East Tennessee). yuck!
How do you like living there? I can’t wait to escape Mexifornia for that gorgeous country you have.
I have a much better idea.
Go back to really teaching fundamentals in High School.
Cram only the meaty basics into the first two years... call those years the new two year HS diploma years.
Make the last two years the equivalent of Community College.
Kids could opt for the college credit or opt for an intensive internship in several fields.
Given the meager crap that is taught to the average HS kid in four years, you could probably more than equal it with just a half year of serious schooling.
K-6 - 7&8 - 2yrs HS - 2yrs College or internship
IMO better results than a free community college plan and MUCH cheaper for the taxpayers.
We’s be gwine to collie!
Anything to the detriment of the United States is what ø wants.
Like it a lot. We haven't been infiltrated by a great number of lefties (like say, Asheville N.C.). The mountains being close by is an added bonus. Welcome.
First Obamacare
Next Obamaskool
Voila! Sudden;y every student is a “C” student.
Any bets?
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