United States President Barack Obama proposed a new initiative to help Americans to attend college during a speech in Knoxville, Tennessee on Friday.
President Obama plans to partner with states and help fund the first two years of community college for free to any American “who’s willing to work for it,” according to CNN. The president also promised that the White House will work to push this plan through Congress within the next few weeks.
“I think everybody understands that [education] is the key to success for our kids in the 21st Century, but what we also understand is that it’s not just for kids,” said President Obama in a video post on The White House Blog. “We also have to make sure that everybody has the constant opportunity to train themselves for better jobs, better wages, better benefits.”
The president’s plan institutes requirements which students must meet in order to receive government aid. According the White House’s official website, students must attend community college at least part-time, maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA, and make “steady progress” toward completing their program.
Community colleges across the nation will also be expected to offer either full academic programs that are fully transferable to local four-year colleges or universities or occupational training programs with high graduation rates that lead to in-demand degrees and certificates. In turn, the federal government will fund three-quarters of the average cost of community colleges, and participating states will be expected to contribute the remaining funds in order to eliminate tuition completely.
President Obama’s proposed solution has been met with significant opposition. Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee specifically opposed President Obama’s proposal, instead urging states to adopt their own individual education policies rather than instituting “a whole new bureaucratic federal program,” according to CNN.
