Free Community College Research Paper

Perhaps one of the greatest concerns that torments America’s new generation is pursuing higher education in order to make more money and while avoiding being in debt, decades after graduation. This topic has become even more as tuition continues to rise and politicians are left to ponder the best course of action to insure that the next generation of Americans is more educated than the last. One particular solution was posed by former president, Barack Obama, who promoted the idea of free community college. Although, it may not be the most direct or most elegant solution, it would certainly be a push in the right direction. By making community college tuition free nationwide, states would become more invested in accommodating the influx of students, lead different school systems to compete by lowering tuition prices, and finally address America’s shortcoming in adults who possess more than just high school diploma.

Higher education in America is facing many challenges, i.e., low retention, low graduation rates and less funding. Postsecondary institutions are scrambling to remain a competitive entity within society. In order to do so, students must remain in school (Talbert, 2012). The Office of the White House states (2014), educational attainment is critical to our county’s economic success. In essence, the work force is creating more jobs requiring more education and a higher level of skill than was previously achieved. Individuals with only a high school diploma will not make into the middle class sector because of

Kris, a wife and a mother, worries about the increasing cost of higher education. She and her husband have a two year old daughter whom they are determined to send to college. They want their daughter to succeed in life, but they have to weigh the complications of going to college as well. “I have always thought about college as a “catch 22”...You’re taught from a young age that in order to achieve the “American Dream” you must graduate high school and go to college,” Kris contemplates (Kris 5).Throughout Kris’s ten years of experience with college, she has seen the tuition increase to shocking heights. In fact, she claims that community colleges cost as much as state colleges did when she first started her college hunt. Back then, she

In the article "Free College? It Doesn’t Fix Everything," Richard V. Reeves (2015) explores insists that making college tuition-free may increase college entrance rates, however, would not increase the number of graduates by significant numbers.In this article, Reeves examines the Kalamazoo Promise, which began in 2006 when anonymous donors made college free for all Highschool graduates in the Kalamazoo, Michigan school district. Since the plan's introduction, more than 35 cities have adopted a similar plan to that of Kalamazoo's. The plan's goal is to create a level playing field for low-income students to have the opportunities to compete with those of a higher income class. Reeves argues that “dramatic reductions in the cost of college

The graduation rates for community colleges are shockingly low. This is an issue that impacts Central Ohio Technical and the nation. The question is, what can be done about the costs of attending a community college in order to increase the graduation rates? An increase in the costs of tuition and fees, a significantly longer length of time that is spent in order to obtain a degree, and the inability to afford the gap in cost between financial aid and school costs, are all issues that pertain to the costs associated with attending a community college and their effects on the graduation rates of those schools. This paper will present these three issues along with a proposed solution to each one in more detail and present the best solution to this problem.

Only four students went straight to the workforce, when a century ago, this was not the case. With students now consistently going straight to college after high school, state universities should be free to state residents since we have public high schools. In Kalamazoo, Michigan, students who attend high school in Kalamazoo starting in ninth grade, can have from sixty-five to one hundred percent of their tuition covered (Teicher). This is known as “The Promise.” The Promise guarantees any student from Kalamazoo a scholarship that pays either a majority or all of their tuition (Teicher). This scholarship can be used for any state school, fifteen private schools, and other state schools around the United States that are less than the highest tuition in Michigan (Teicher). Since The Promise’s first wave of scholarships, there has been definite improvements in college attendance. For black students, there has been a three percent rise in college attendance and overall forty-eight percent of scholarship recipients graduate college (Teicher). While this has shown an impact, there certainly are other factors that lead to the fifty-two percent that do not graduate, such as not being taught time management, academic skills, or how to take advantage of their sources (Teicher). Despite this fallback, “The Promise” has definitely started an era of higher college graduation rates and those who lack financial support a method of

“The Debate Over Free Community College” is an article published in The Atlantic by Emily Deruy on July 27,2015. Which discusses the Tennessee Promise program and the Oregon program which offers the first two years of community college at no cost for it’s students if the requirements are met for each program. It also brings up different perspectives on the outlook of the overall program and things it would affect in either a positive or negative way. Also including some statistical and demographical information on the state of Tennessee and Oregon.

66 percent and 80 percent” (Brooks P6). Making college tuition free would be a bad idea.

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.

A proposed creation of the Public College Quality Compact, a fund to encourage states to reinvest in postsecondary education. In addition to other requirements, states that wish to participate in the fund would be required to create reliable funding streams to public colleges and universities that provide a least as much as the maximum Pell Grant per student in support. Ensuring that states make reliable investments in their citizens will mean that college education is affordable for low income students who pursue their

How would you feel if money were no object when it comes to obtaining something you really want, and know it will be of great benefit to you in exchange? In fact, what if I told you that a post secondary education can be of no cost to you or your parents, meaning no high interest rates, or additional fees to pay back. All you need is the desire to better your circumstances. No loan applications and debt required! Well, I wish that had been offered this proposition before graduating high school, and not worry about whether or not my parents could afford to send me to a traditional 4-year college. We are all currently sitting in this classroom to satisfy one of many required courses in hopes to obtain a diploma in return. Some may even be looking to transfer into a 4-year college or university. Unfortunately, the cost of college education is expensive and for many is a deterrent, and loans do not make it any more enticing. The burden in repaying student loans is enough to discourage many from ever stepping foot into a college classroom. However, as demands to fill high-paying positions in the job market increases, many are going vacant as most require college degrees. For many Americans today, high costs of colleges make it difficult to consider. Today I would like to talk about first, the problems of high costs in post secondary education, second, how this proposal has been a debate, especially among recent presidential hopefuls, and finally how a community with tuition-free

All over the United States, young adults are planning their future and preparing themselves for college. College is the next level education that the majority of the high school population thrive for. Yet two things are always a factor in the decisions made, which is cost and debt. These two things have become two of the most common reasons many students either drop out, or don’t attend a public university at all. According to Imagine America Foundation, the cost of college and the debt it can leave behind are two of the top 5 reasons people don’t go to college. With that being said, these two factors have become a problem to students as well their families. These problems need to be fixed for the community and by the community. The will have to work together

Alan Greenblatt also examines the effects providing students with two free years of community college tuition. While Cubberley believes that students need to be provided two years of free tuition, Greenblatt believes students are still advancing in life just fine, even with their debt. “graduates with high levels of debt are still reaching their major life milestones, although students who dropped out without completing degrees are struggling” (Greenblatt). Community colleges are a wonderful resource for many students. They provide them with the ability to explore their dreams, have less worry about their finances, and are a stepping stone into better opportunities. While two free years of community college may sound like a wonderful investment,

For in-state students this opens an opportunity to get the most of their education and still be able to stay home. It cost a couple thousand dollars a semester for a typical college/university so without that cost students can have that money for their supplies and save the rest for other life essentials and other miscellaneous things. There are some ways others should have a free ride to college.

While some people may think that they are getting free stuff, in reality nothing is free in the world because we had to give up something even though we did not have to pay for it. In economic point of view, this is called tradeoffs and opportunity cost. Tradeoffs involves sacrificing one thing in order to obtain another. Tradeoffs would then create opportunity costs, which is what we did not choose when make tradeoff. This two ideas also apply to the concept of no free lunch. When a friend invites you dinner and offer to pay for your meal, even though the food is free, the concept of opportunity cost come in because rather than watching a movie or spending time with your family, you forgo doing other things with the time you spend eating it.