Obama announces proposal for two free years of community college

[Katashi_itto]

President Barack Obama said on Thursday he would offer a proposal in his State of the Union speech that would make two years of community college free for anyone willing to work for it.

Obama said in a video message released by the White House that in a visit to Tennessee on Friday he would announce the program to make community college accessible for everyone.

Under the proposal, students who attend at least half-time, maintain a 2.5 GPA while in college, and make steady progress toward completing their programs would have their tuition eliminated.


The White House said the program would be taken in partnership with states and was inspired by new programs in Tennessee and Chicago. If all states participate, an estimated 9 million students could benefit. A full-time community college student could save an average of $3,800 in tuition a year.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/01/obama-announces-proposal-for-two-free-years-of-community-college/

[RKP5637]

1. K&R! n/t

[ProdigalJunkMail]

2. just stop all the military operations for a few minutes

and we could pay for it...

sP

[Jamastiene]

26. That is probably literally the truth.

A mere few minutes less of bomb building and bombing and maybe we could get some other stuff funded. It is outrageous the amount of money spent for military operations.

[Gman]

3. Excellent proposal

But what about fees? Still, something is better than nothing.

[Hugin]

4. That would be great. n/t

[d_r]

5. this could have unintended consequences

on the nature and structure of four-year universities.

[1StrongBlackMan]

11. Yes ...

off the top of my head, I can think of two ...

First, it might deprive them of 2 years of revenue, as people do 2+2.

Secondly, it might create a filter where traditional 4 year colleges and University will admit only the top tier of the community college grads.

[d_r]

13. another

it may reduce the number of freshmen and sophomores, and so four-year schools would reduce the course offerings at those levels.

Some states have really tight integration between the two- and four-year schools for transfers, some do not. Could make it hard for some students in some states to finish in four years if the first two years at CC do not meet the requirements at the four-year.

[Hotler]

6. Throwing us crumbs.....

to ease the pain for when he and his corporate friends ram TPP down our throats.

[1StrongBlackMan]

8. Okay ...

[Rex]

10. LOL! Wut!?!

Wow...you mad about people getting a free education or what?

[great white snark]

19. Six long years and no ramming yet.

You're running out of time for him to destroy everything he's been accused of wanting to.

[Hekate]

34. +1000000000000000

Ai yi yi

[Fred Sanders]

35. Because Congress has all the bread, man. The throat thing is getting old, it means nothing.

[Hekate]

38. Life is just a bowl of cherries for you, isn't it?

[Drunken Irishman]

40. LMFAO

[IronLionZion]

46. It's just a big giveaway to big community colleges

It just gives your tax dollars to the makers of technology and textbooks and other corporate cronies in Big Ed. We'll hear how it would be better if no one had access to any sort of college, from people who already have 3 degrees.

We can call it "Obamacollege", and then team GOP can blame Obama for how much tuition for all higher education has been rising out of control since before he was elected as proof that Obamacollege is a government takeover of our education system. The Koch brothers will give out free pizza and beer for those who refuse to enroll in college.

DUers can repeat endlessly that a more European style socialized college system would better. We'll have 101 threads per minute on the topic for the next 10 years.

[merrily]

51. What crumbs? Nothing at all has been thrown yet, but words.

[betterdemsonly]

7. Hard to convince people paying for a 2 year degree is worth it

when the job they are training for might be outsourced. Also the 40,000 in earnings figure include stats from people who graduated before this trend got started.

[Hekate]

36. My degree trail is AA to BA to MA to PhD. My classmates in community college with 2 yr degrees...

...went on to become your Registered Nurses, firefighters, police officers, accountants, electronics technicians......

This was California in the 1960s. The fees were absolutely minimal, and the bookstore bought back used textbooks and sold them to others at a discount. It saved my parents a ton of money.

Three members of my family went through the electronics program. First, my father upgraded his skills as a supervisor of aircraft mechanics, and hung on at Lockheed another 20 years. Then my first brother, though he never settled down in a single career, used his certificate and skills again and again in a variety of employment. Finally, my younger sister got her electronics cert there and transferred to UC Berkeley, where she became an engineer.

It's all changed since the legislature of California decided community colleges were not worth supporting so much. Still, my husband, when he changed careers from systems analysis to teaching, used his MBA to get a teaching slot at our local community college and did so for 22 years. His students are everywhere in this town, including our son. Our son went through the computer information systems department at the community college while working, and completed his Bachelor's degree at his new job in another state. He's now a software engineer back in our city.

I can tell you all the things the state has done to shaft the community college system here, and yet it still remains a great educational resource. Never, and I mean never, go to one of those for-profit Business or IT institutions. The best 2 year education you can obtain is likely to be at a California community college, and if you apply yourself, you will be employable and will continue to be. Firefighters, nurses, technicians, cops et al. don't have their jobs outsourced.

[MohRokTah]

9. Blatant move to try making people smarter.

How DARE he!!!!!

<~~~~~~~for the sarcasm impaired

[Rex]

12. Wow, I didn't think anyone could poo poo on the POTUS over a free education

but already people are doing just that.

2 years free at a junior college...I see no bad in that, how can any progressive find fault in this?

[DesertDawg]

14. Awesome!

Seems like a great idea to me, especially with the amount of outsourcing the last several decades. Personally in my opinion there should be legislation that if your job is being outsourced or has been outsourced you automatically qualify for two years of Schooling to retrain, so this is a great step in the right direction.

[Initech]

15. Good news everyone!!!!

[lovemydog]

16. Great news.

Thanks for sharing it here Katashi_itto.

[Barack_America]

17. Community colleges still provide trade education...

...making this even more significant.

[SummerSnow]

18. ...

[jtuck004]

20. +1. The OP is just news of what we have neglected. n/t

[pangaia]

21. Katashi, I am with you.. as almost always..

But, while Obama was saying this...

Bernie was damn near saying..
"I welcome their hatred." And he does.

[beaglelover]

22. How is this going to be paid for????

With cuts to SSN and/or Medicare? Higher taxes on millionaires?? Higher taxes on everyone??

[uppityperson]

23. Savings on the military after it exits Iraq?

[Hekate]

37. Good grief. It's not a zero-sum game. And as far as taxes go, I'd vote myself a tax hike for ...

...education any day.

[JonLP24]

44. It will probably pay for itself

[Jefferson23]

24. 9 million students could benefit...I love that possibility. K&R

[whereisjustice]

25. it will not make up for the jobs and opportunities to be lost with TPP... we are currently the most

over educated, underemployed workforce in the world.

[Katashi_itto]

29. Exactly!

Last edited Sun Jan 11, 2015, 07:18 AM - Edit history (1)

TPP needs to be defeated. Course with the one of the architects of TPP running, Hillary it sort of makes it hard.

[Jamastiene]

27. I sure hope he can get that done.

That would be nice.

[JDPriestly]

28. This is one of a number of measures that could really change our nation for the better and make

us more competitive in international markets. Wish I could recommend this a thousand times. The better educated we are, the better nation we will be.

[Ferd Berfel]

30. Someone's head will esplode

[LostOne4Ever]

31. Awesome Idea (nt)

[zappaman]

33. Kick and rec! n/t

[Hekate]

39. Enthusiastic KnR. However, like the Jobs Bill, the GOP ain't gonna cough up the dough.

Because Obama.

[TexasBushwhacker]

41. Is the cost of CC prohibitive?

I don't think the cost of community college keeps people away. I think those who don't attend are working full time. Plenty of them would get grants and those who didn't could get small student loans. Many prospective students would need remedial courses and just don't want to take them.

[flygal]

42. it is for many young people

I've seen my nieces struggle to work and pay for everything (books are crazy expensive even in cc). At 18 many kids can not see how going into debt of 20K is worth a two year course even paying twice what they earn without it. Not to mention how many single parents would be given an opportunity to get out of a minimum wage cycle.

I live in Europe and it amazes my friends that the US just graduates it's kids from high school and that's it. On your own kid!

[joshcryer]

45. Yes.

[JaneyVee]

53. No remedial. Student must have high enough average to qualify.

[JonLP24]

43. There should be no reason to oppose this, logically or ethically

[YOHABLO]

47. This is going nowhere. Forgive student loan debt .. get that monkey off students backs. Better idea?

[merrily]

52. The attempt to even make student loans more affordable went nowhere.

[jtuck004]

48. Cool. 10 million people moved into poverty during this administration, andother 30 million

into near poverty, most of whom, with their kids,will be there the rest of their lives, so this works. A little bus ride from the homeless shelter or gospel mission, I can find people who are hungry or dirty and enroll them in cooking and physical education classes.

And think how much money business aves by putting this on taxpayers.

DU ought to enroll it's spell-checker, so it can learn how to spell "enroll" in the U.S.

[Beringia]

49. great, Thanks President Obama

[merrily]

50. DC Kabuki?

He announces this as the most Republican congress since 1928 is about to begin?

Amazing how liberal (and very publicly liberal) Democrats can get when Congress is very Republican.