President Obama’s Community College Plan
When President Obama announced a plan last week to make 2 years of community college free for students who could meet certain requirements, the usual spirited discussions followed about the purpose of higher education and student goals, and the ways and means the plan would be put into place.
The U.S. News pointed out that previous programs similar to President Obama’s plan had been created before. Other articles, like this one from The Atlantic, were a little less optimistic.
The community college plan could potentially benefit up to 9 million students each year. On the other hand, community college students may still have competing concerns besides tuition costs, such as the number of classes they are allowed to take, the cost of books and transportation, and the lack of good counseling resources to make sure they are on track for their degree.
The effectiveness of President Obama’s plan for community college students will only be seen with time.