By Jeremy Logan,
President Obama has taken the first step in bringing universal and free community college to anyone who attends school at least half time, and maintains a 2.5 GPA.
America’s Promise [the proposed plan] would cost 60 million dollars over the span of 10 years with the federal government covering 75 percent of the cost of tuition and states that choose to participate covering the remaining 25 percent.
“Right now about a third of our costs are paid by tuition and about two thirds from the state, and that’s becoming less and less,” Janet Gullickson, president of SFCC, said. “So pretty soon it’s going to be about half and half.”
The president’s plan is modeled after a similar plan in Tennessee [The Tennessee Promise] that was led by Republican Governor Bill Haslam, in which state lottery proceeds cover the cost of community college tuition that is not covered by Pell grants and other forms of financial aid. 12 thousand students are expected to enroll under the new state program.
In his State of the Union Address, Obama looked at the free K-12 education system as an example for the potential outcome of his plan.
“America thrived in the 20th century because we made high school free, sent a generation of GIs to college, and trained the best workforce in the world,” Obama said.
A 2012 report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that one third of all jobs require at least an associates degree, and Obama projects that that number will double.
“By the end of this decade, two in three job openings will require some higher education,” Obama said.”Two in three. And yet, we still live in a country where too many bright, striving Americans are priced out of the education they need. It’s not fair to them, and it’s not smart for our future. That’s why I am sending this Co
ngress a bold new plan to lower the cost of community college – to zero.”
Robby Krieg, an audio engineer student at SFCC says he has seen the progression take place.
“When I was in high school they said, ‘you can’t get anywhere without a high school diploma,’ and then I graduated and it was, now you can’t get ahead without a two year degree,” Krieg said. “And now that I’m in a two year program it’s like, now you can’t get ahead without a four year degree.”
The Promise would bring the expectation that students maintain a 2.5 GPA, as opposed to the 2.0 already required by financial aid.
“I think its good that they at least have a limitation on the GPA, but literally a donkey could keep a 2.5 GPA.” Krieg said. “For each state they should hold an interview process like I went through [for audio engineering] to see if people are ready to go to school.”
While America’s promise would bring higher expectations to students, Gullickson says it is also asking community colleges to be more efficient.
“President Obama is saying to the Community Colleges, you also have to step up your game and help students complete on time, help students who may need remedial education or need developmental Ed [education] in math, or english, or reading.” Gullickson said. “We will also be expected to offer programs that end in transfer, and the technical jobs we are teaching need to graduate students to a dead-end career. He’s challenging us, I see it in a positive light to do a better job with the money we have.”
While money might help get more students in the door, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee their success.
“There is not one medicine that will help a student who is under prepared, who is poor, who may have an illness, who may be a single parent, who may be in an abusive situation.” Gullickson said. “There is no single bullet that will help every single student, but if we keep at it, it may be just enough to lift them over the bar of success.”