The Political Hat

     President Obama has announced a scheme to provide two years of “free” college.  The Federal government would pay for ¾ of the tuition, but require the state to pony up ¼ of the cost.

     This isn’t “free,” it is government subsidized.  And as with K-12, this “free education” will inevitably become expensive.  This is unfortunate because community college are already an excellent value for education.  Community colleges, however, are not just cheap alternatives to the first two years of a “four year” college and bachelors degree.  They provide vocational training, advanced classes for K-12 students, continuing education for adults, and a wide variety of classes and services to the community at large.  With the exception of a narrow range of occupation training programs, Obama’s “free” college wouldn’t cover all that:

“Community colleges will be expected to offer programs that are either 1) academic programs that fully transfer credits to local public four-year colleges and universities, or 2) occupational training programs with high graduation rates and lead to in-demand degrees and certificates. Community colleges must also adopt promising and evidence-based institutional reforms to improve student outcomes.”

     Since the states will be required to pony up ¼ of the cost, this means less money for non-covered vocational education, advanced classes for K-12 students, continuing education for adults, and the wide variety of classes and services to the community at large.

     Yet again, Obama would “fundamentally transform” a successful institution to its detriment.

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