Community Colleges And Student Retention Essay

This article provides an insightful view into the perceived and real status of community colleges in relation to their university counterparts. Once thought of as a place merely for underachievers to attend for workforce training, Trowbridge points out these institutions now have more to offer. They provide an affordable opportunity for students to complete the same courses that are available at the university for a fraction of the cost. Noting the financial savings in comparison to the traditional university, along with the overall quality of instruction, local community colleges have become a viable alternative for those seeking a college education without the incurring unnecessary amounts of debt.

We are told to “go to college” by family, media, and teachers, but we are never given an explanation on why it’s important for us to get a higher education. The importance of higher education is so we can obtain a career that can support our needs and wants. It’s also important because it gives you an advantage when trying to get a job. Employers require a higher form of education, which is necessary for our society to advance. There aren’t many jobs that accept people with a high school diploma as their highest form of education. Employers want people that know what they’re doing, and so does our society. In order for people to go into the career field they want, they need to go to college to learn everything that comes with that career.

       Recently President Obama proposed a plan to make two years of community college free to

“There’s something about free that’s very clear to everyone.” (Joanne Jacobs) says Halley Potter a Century Foundation fellow, and everyone can agree with this statement. In the article “As He Promotes It, Some Question Obama’s Free Community College Idea,” by Joanne Jacobs, it explain how a student from Rio Hondo College (community college near LA) are “uncertain about President Barack Obama’s free college plan,” (Jacobs, 1). Free community college is a bad idea because community college is already almost free as it is with all the grants you can receive and financial aid or even scholarships. It is also a bad idea because even though it can be a powerful impact on lower income students it won’t be as beneficial because the colleges will become overpopulated and they would have to make waiting lists for you to get in and that will waste your time and you might get behind on graduating.

Even though some feel the degree they get into college is worth the debt, the rising cost of college tuition is having an effect on students. Students are forced to choose a community college or a less expensive college, they have

Since Obama’s announcement of his idea to provide free community college an uproar of an argument has arose with two distinct sides: community college should be free and community college should not be free. The idea behind free community college is to help individuals reach towards a college degree just as people are easily set forth to reach for a high school degree. The hope is that by deleting the financial barrier that comes with community college more people are willing to aim for an associates degree and possibly higher. There are states that have decided to take the matter into their own hands and are planning to implement this idea. However, the idea of having free community college implemented throughout all states is still questionable

In today’s generation many hear about the importance of getting a college education. Many believe that getting a certification or degree will lead you on the path to a better future. For a portion of the American population college is helped pay for by various grant and student loans. But what about the portion of Americans that don’t qualify for them? For these Americans college seems so far out of reach. Making community college free for all Americans will be very beneficial to those Americans that don’t get help with paying their tuition. It will also make sure that nobody gets left behind because of their lack of money. Through evidence I will provide good reasoning as to why community college should be provided free to all citizens of the United States.

Many people believe that making community college free is a step to bettering the country. The article “As He Promotes It, Some Question Obama’s Free Community College Idea” by Joanne Jacobs, gives us insight on both sides of the argument and allows us to form an opinion based on what we read. After reading this article, I had to agree with not making community college free. Although it sounds nice, and other world countries have free college at the price of higher taxes, I feel it best to keep it at a tuition basis. Instead, I believe that we should work towards lowering the costs of private or public four years for those low income students, and also think about how making community college free could impact the enrollment at these campuses,

Dreams are not cheap. I have dreamed of having a college degree for twenty years, one of the hurdles that I struggled with overcoming was the shear rising cost of higher education. In the articles, The Problem with Obama’s “Free Community College” Proposal and Obama’s Dream of Free Community College is Headed to Congress, high dropout rates and low percentages of students earning a bachelor’s degree are touched upon. While reducing the cost of college or providing free community college may not be enough to raise the dropout rate, we need to look at the other non-quantifiable costs of getting an education. If we want to enable American’s to earn that dream, we need to address the whole needs of the student and not just throw money at them.

America’s community colleges are highly valuable for many reasons. They enrich the lives of students by raising their lifetime incomes and helping them achieve their individual potential. They benefit American businesses by increasing consumer spending and supplying a steady flow of qualified, trained workers into the workforce. They benefit society as a whole by improving the economy and providing a variety of savings through the improved lifestyles of students. They benefit federal, state, and local governments through increased tax revenues across the U.S. and a reduced demand for government-supported services. Obama’s plan to make community college more accessible is a great investment in America’s future.

In the article “ As he promotes it, some questions Obama’s free community college idea” by Joanne Jacobs explains Obama’s idea of community college being free. The article mentions teachers and students opinion of Obama’s idea and the say whether the agree with his plan or not. There is many issues with this plan because it means that schools are going to be more crowded because more people are going to attend. There’s also some positive things about this because it means more people would be encourage to go to school and get a degree so that they can get a better job. Community college should not be free because from my personal experience I have observed that community college offers students a chance to go to school for free, if more people attend community colleges the school will be packed which will make the school add a waiting list for others.

“Forty percent of our college students choose community college, some are young and starting out. Some are older and looking for a better job. Some are veterans and single parents trying to transition back into the job market. Whoever you are, this plan is your chance to graduate ready for the new economy, without a load of debt,” president Obama outlined his proposal to Congress offering free community college (“Obama: Community college”). The Obama's plan, called America's College Promise would provide free two years of community college tuition for responsible students going to school at least half-time, as long as students maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher and it will cover certificate programs, an associate’s degree,

One of the most highly debated proposals from President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address is a new government program that would cover the cost of community college. The “American College Promise” would provide free tuition to students who enroll in a community college for at least half-time, maintain a 2.5 Grade Point Average (GPA), make steady progress towards completing an associate’s degree and cannot have an adjusted gross income of above two hundred thousand dollars. Obama has stated that the new proposal will benefit roughly nine million students each year by earning them an associate’s degree at no cost. Although the new proposal can be seen as a panacea for all incoming college students, the opposition is true due to the fact that community college is affordable, exclusive, and will hurt the economy by causing the current United States debt to increase.

Free Community College, also known as President Obama’s America’s College Promise Plan, has gained much publicity recently due to the increasing cost of attending a post-secondary institution. The America’s College Promise Plan initiative is designed to enable all students the access to enroll in a community college for free. This research study aims to explore the impact the word “free” means to high school students regarding attending a community college. This literature review will give a brief analysis of the history and growth of community colleges, the different demographics and enrollment statistics of students, the cost of attending a two-year college, and what cost factors impact potential students’ college choice decisions. Lastly, a review of the proposed free community college plan and what impact it may have on society.

     It seems in the society we live in today, having a college degree is a necessity. Years ago it was the norm for people to just go right into a full time job after high school, if they even finished high school; they did this to support their families. In today’s society a person has a difficult time getting a decent job without a college degree. During an adults working life, bachelor degree graduates will earn about $2.1 million and a high school graduate can expect to earn an average of $1.2 million (Day and Newburger, 2002). This is quite a difference and it puts a college education in