"In America," the president said, "a quality education cannot be a privilege that is reserved for a few."
The state and federal partnership would provide an associates degree — the equivalent to two years toward a bachelor's degree, or job training — at the more than 1,000 community colleges in the U.S., free of tuition to those who "keep their grades up."
The president also said his administration would work with the College Board to simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which students must complete annually in order to be eligible for federal student financial aid.
"Put simply, what I'd like to do is to see the first two years of community college free for everybody's who is willing to work for it," Obama said in a video message released by the White House Thursday.
The program, which the White House priced at $60 billion over ten years, looks to extend free tuition for both full- and part-time students who maintain at least a 2.5 GPA. The program would allow students to either go into job training programs, in which they would learn a specific job skill that is in high demand, or transfer their two years worth of credits to a degree program at a four year school.
Tennessee already has a similar program that started last April. The Tennessee Promise Program mandates that students must maintain a 2.0 GPA, do community service, attend meetings, and work with a mentor in exchange for free tuition.
According to the American Association of Community Colleges, the federal government will be paying for three quarters of the state tuition for community colleges, according to Obama’s plan. State governments already pay, in total, about one quarter of the overall costs, totaling $9.1 billion. This would allow as many as 9 million students to save at least $3,800 a year.
The announcement has already attracted criticism, with many conservatives arguing the plan is unrealistic. Lindsey Burke of the Heritage Foundation cited that low-income students, who stand to benefit most from this new program, already receive Pell Grants. Burke also noted that since 2008 the number of Pell Grant recipients has nearly doubled, making this little more than a government handout.
Burke also cites the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s findings that that only about 20% of community college students transfer to four year schools and only 72% percent of those who enroll stay or graduate.
Republicans are also concerned that there is not enough known about it the plan to understand its practicality. "With no details or information on the cost, this seems more like a talking point than a plan," said Cory Fritz, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner.
