Making higher education more affordable is our only hope
In January, President Barack Obama set forth his initiative to make community
college free to all high school graduates. He was taking a cue from Tennessee, where former Democrat Governor Phil Bredesen originally proposed, in 2007, what would subsequently be
repackaged as the
"Tennessee Promise":
Any high school senior who graduates from a Tennessee eligible high schooli or completes a Tennessee home school programii can apply for the Promise. Students will apply in early fall of their high school senior year and begin working with a mentor and attending mandatory meetings in their counties by January. While the Tennessee Promise is available to all students regardless of socioeconomic status, partnering organizations will work with high school guidance counselors to target at-risk students who would otherwise not pursue any education beyond high school. The program will launch with the graduating class of 2015.
Everybody's
second favorite mayor Rahm Emanuel proposed a similar
plan back in October.
Any CPS high school graduate who has a 3.0 GPA or higher, places into college-level math and English, and enrolls in one of CCC’s pathways will be eligible for the Chicago Star Scholarship. The pathway program helps students navigate the educational system and encourages them to focus on a clear career path and achieve their goals.
These programs have begun even without President Obama's proposed
College Promise program that would:
If all 50 states choose to implement the President's new community college proposal, it could:
- Save a full-time community college student $3,800 in tuition per year on average
- Benefit roughly 9 million students each year.
Under President Obama's new proposal, students would be able to earn the first half of a bachelor's degree, or earn the technical skills needed in the workforce -- all at no cost to them.
Now if we can just get our Congress to fund basic safety...