Last month President Barack Obama announced a proposal called “America’s College Promise.” The program would eliminate the cost of two years of community college nationwide for students who maintain good grades.
This plan is an expansion on a current program in Tennessee called the “Tennessee Promise” scholarship, in which students can apply to receive two years of free community college education. Obama praised Tennessee’s initiative, and other cities and states with similar programs, during a speech at Pellissippi State College in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Obama emphasized that a college degree in today’s competitive economy is the “surest ticket to the middle class,” and that businesses will want to set up their headquarters where the most educated, versatile employees are.
“Two years of college will become as free and universal as high school is today,” Obama said.
The proposal carries a controversial estimated price tag of $60 billion in the next ten years, The Washington Post reported. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) said that he does not support the nationwide proposal, but thinks that Tennessee’s plan should be replicated at the state level.
University of the District of Columbia Community College (UDC-CC) CEO, Dr. Dianna Phillips, readily gave her own support for the initiative.
“I think it’s absolutely necessary that we change the context of the conversation to acknowledge that technology has transformed the workplace in such a way that additional education beyond high school is critical,” Phillips said.
Phillips also noted in an interview on “Let’s Talk Live” that some of the non-credit programs at UDC-CC are already free and that Obama’s initiative mirrors the goals of UDC-CC.
According to research conducted and compiled by D.C. Appleseed in April 2014, economists have predicted that within the next four years, 72 percent of all jobs in D.C. will require some post-secondary education.
However, according the Department of Education, the cost of an in-state 4-year public college degree has increased by 200 percent. The cost of community college has increased by 150 percent, taking inflation into consideration.
This has made the reality of earning a college degree a distant dream for many D.C. residents. If UDC-CC were to adapt to Obama’s proposal, many of D.C.’s residents would then be able to attend a community college and receive credit without the financial burden of tuition.
“Today, in a 21st century economy, where your most valuable asset is your knowledge, the single most important way to get ahead is not just to get a high school education,” Obama said. “You’ve got to get some higher education.”
