President Obama’s proposal to offer two years of free community college tuition to students is being greeted with skepticism by Republican members of Congress.
The plan carries a $60 billion pricetag over 10 years.
But Jonathan Weinzapfel, chancellor of Ivy Tech in Terre Haute and Evansville regions, is greeting it with enthusiasm.
“It’s a great idea” and is modeled after a program in Tennessee, he said.
If all 50 states implemented the president’s proposal, which would require approval by Congress, it would save a full-time community college student $3,800 in tuition per year on average and benefit about 9 million students each year, according to information made public by the White House.
Students would be able to earn the first half of a bachelor’s degree, or earn the technical skills needed in the workforce, at no cost to them.
To qualify, students must attend a community college at least half-time, maintain a 2.5 GPA, and make steady progress toward completing their program.
Community colleges will be expected to offer either academic programs that fully transfer credits to local public four-year colleges and universities, or occupational training programs with high graduation rates and that lead to in-demand degrees and certificates. Community colleges must also adopt promising and evidence-based institutional reforms to improve student outcomes, and they would have to meet certain academic requirements.
Federal funding would cover three-quarters of the average cost of community college. Participating states would be expected to contribute the remaining funds necessary to eliminate the tuition for eligible students.
Weinzapfel said he didn’t know all the details but he supports the concept.
“It’s exactly what the state of Indiana needs and what the Terre Haute region needs,” he said.
He gave several reasons. Indiana has one of the lowest per capita incomes in the country; it has one of the nation’s lowest college attainment rates at about 34 percent; and by 2018, 90 percent of all jobs are going to require some type of post secondary credential.
“When you consider that, this is a great opportunity where young people will be able to get the skills and education they need without incurring a lot of debt,” Weinzapfel said. “It will give them more employment opportunities because they will have greater skills they can use in the workplace, and they will have opportunities to make more money because they have these skills.”
The proposal would benefit the local economy, Weinzapfel said. Employers, both those already here and those officials try to bring to the community, are looking for workers who have the necessary skills for the jobs they have available. Current employers “constantly struggle” to find these highly qualified employees, and Obama’s program would help provide a better trained workforce, he said.
It would help make the region more attractive for economic development, he said.
Weinzapfel said he will lobby on behalf of the program with Indiana’s congressional delegation and also with state leaders. “If the state is serious about addressing our low per capita income, our skills gap and our low college attainment rate, this should be their top priority,” he said.
Teresa Lubbers, Indiana’s commissioner for higher education, responded to Obama’s proposal through an email.
“At a time when education beyond high school is more important than ever, it’s critical that students are academically and financially prepared to succeed in higher education. This is the imperative that is being addressed in President Obama’s proposal and the reason why Indiana has invested in one of the nation’s most successful financial aid programs. We rank seventh in the nation and first in the Midwest in the distribution of need-based financial aid. In Indiana, an economically disadvantaged student already has financial aid available to cover the cost of community college tuition. Whether this provision should be extended to the entire population regardless of need is a serious discussion, both in terms of cost and new federal expectations that will determine eligibility. These details have not yet been provided, but it’s clear that in Indiana we are committed to ensuring that community college access is not prohibited because of financial need.”
Obama was promoting his proposal on Friday at Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville, Tennessee, a follow-up to a video message posted to Facebook Thursday evening. He wants to make a community college higher education as accessible as a high school diploma to boost weak U.S. wages and skills for the modern workforce.
Republicans immediately began criticizing the White House for calling the program “free,” according to various media reports. Other critics suggest that a big federal program is not the best way to extend community college to more students. Also, some community colleges have long wait lists and lack funding to expand programs to more students.
Obama is expected to provide further details on how the program would be funded during his State of the Union address.