Having tested-the-waters with his "2 years of free community college for all" plan last night [4], President Obama will this afternoon explain how it's all going to work, how it will be paid for (and by whom), how it will not raise education costs, how it will ensure Americans become more productive and encouraged to seek and take work, and how it will wean people from suckling at the teat of the welfare state... Oh and how he will define 'responsible' students? (rather like moderate terrorists we suspect?).
President Obama is due to speak at 1320ET (so plan accordingly)
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As President Obama explained last night...
“Put simply, what I’d like to do is to see the first two years of community college free for anybody who’s willing to work for it,” he said. “It’s something we can accomplish, and it’s something that will train our workforce so that we can compete with anyone in the world.”
Obama said a world-class education starts with children, but that adults need training, too. “It’s not just for kids, we also have to make sure that everybody has the opportunity to constantly train themselves for better jobs, better wages, better benefits.”
The America’s College Promise proposal could save eligible students $3,800 a year in tuition, the White House said.
According to the White House, here are the requirements for the program:
What students have to do: Students must attend community college at least half-time, maintain a 2.5 GPA, and make steady progress toward completing their program.
What community colleges have to do: 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.
What the federal government has to do: Federal funding will cover three-quarters of the average cost of community college. Participating states will be expected to contribute the remaining funds necessary to eliminate the tuition for eligible students.
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We are sure it will all be great... we suspect this is more of a 'delaying tactic' for the hundreds of thousands of young people unable to find jobs as the workforce is dominated by the older generation unable to retire [5]...
America's increasingly aging work force: the number of workers 55 and over just hit 32.9 million, up 1.3 million from a year ago, and an all time high.
[6]
For those who happen to be young and, inexplicably, also want a job, we have good news too:
[7]
