President Obama Proposes Free Community College for All

obama-thumbPresident Obama has proposed that two years of community college be available free for all students. Under the plan students would have to attend community college at least on a half-time basis. Students must maintain a 2.5 grade point average and continue to make progress toward an associate’s degree or technical certificate.

Under the plan the federal government would issue grants covering three-fourths of all tuition costs with participating states paying the remaining one-quarter of a student’s tuition.

The White House estimates that the program would benefit nine million students annually and save them an average of $3,800 in tuition costs each year.

The White House did not specify where the funds would come from to finance the new program. With a GOP-controlled Congress, it undoubtedly will be very difficult for the President to establish a new massive public program.

While the new plan would seem to be highly beneficial to the educational prospects of African Americans, some Black leaders have expressed a fear that a free community college education will serve to drag down enrollments at four-year historically Black colleges and universities. Many of these schools are struggling financially. If large numbers of Black students opt for the free community college plan, enrollments at these four-year HBCUs might drop significantly.

Below is a video of President Obama discussing the plan.

Related Articles

2 COMMENTS

  1. Hi. I think this is a great idea. Hopefully this applies to adults seeking higher education. He says for everyone who’s willing to work for it. I’m approaching 30, and I’m also a single mom whom would love to go back to school, but I can’t afford to. I’m constantly searching online for grants for minority women to attend college,but have yet to find one that applies to adults wishing to return to school. I didn’t realize how important school was years ago, so this would be like a second chance for me and for so many others like me. I’m keeping my fingers crossed!

  2. If realized this would be a positive for so many Americans who are struggling to balance work and address a changing economy. The likelihood of a Republican controlled Congress passing such a proposal especially publicly announced by sitting POTUS Obama is fanciful at best. The union of HBCU’s worrying about the prospective drain of potential students is also fanciful. A more productive HBCU strategy is to confront current flagging graduation rates and institute solutions.

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

California State University Sacramento Launches Black Honors College

Officially launching for the fall 2024 semester, the Black Honors College will support students from all backgrounds who study Black history, life, and culture by providing them with a specialized curriculum and mentoring opportunities.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

In Memoriam: Norman B. Anderson, 1955-2024

Dr. Anderson was the assistant vice president for research and academic affairs at Florida State University at the time of his death. He had an extensive career in clinical psychology, which led him to become the first African American chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association.

Georgia State University Launches Program to Support Black Women in Tech

While Black women account for roughly 29 percent of the Georgia State University undergradaute student body, they represent only 10 percent of the university's computer science majors and 18 percent of the computer information systems majors.

Featured Jobs