Obama wants community college to be free "for those willing to work for it"

[JEDI]

http://money.cnn.com/2015/01/08/pf/college/obama-free-college/index.html

it would require both the federal government and the states to split the tab. States would have the option to participate.

If every state participated, the proposal could help 9 million students and save those enrolled full-time an average of $3,800 a year, according to the White House.

The program will be modeled after one in Tennessee, in which the state covers the cost of community college tuition for students that's not already covered for them by grants and scholarships. It also requires the student to have a mentor, perform 8 hours of community service per term, as well as maintain a 2.0 GPA.


$3800/16hrs = $238/hr!

I would like to add "if you cant afford community college."
as in 150% of poverty levels.
ie: if you (or mom/dad) qualify for Obamacare substidies

 

[cubby1223]

And here I paid my college tuition in full by myself like a stupid chump! And will be paying for everyone else's college tuition on top of it!

I wonder if the mentor is paid for by the government as well?

 

[feralkid]

Good.

A well educated population is priceless.

The alternative is hell.

 

[Fern]

I was at a business dinner with the Chairman of the Board of a large Fortune 100 company. He was pretty old. He had started the company (construction industry) and build it up over many years.

They were late with my food and the manager brought over a free drink. Well, we discussed the biz at hand then got up to leave and he noticed I hadn't drank the free drink. He looked at me said he learned long ago that when you give someone something for free they don't value it. After thinking about it for a bit I tended to agree. If had to pay for that drink I wouldn't have left it.

With scholarships and grants you have to work for them.

Fern

 

[fskimospy]

I was at a business dinner with the Chairman of the Board of a large Fortune 100 company. He was pretty old. He had started the company (construction industry) and build it up over many years.

They were late with my food and the manager brought over a free drink. Well, we discussed the biz at hand then got up to leave and he noticed I hadn't drank the free drink. He looked at me said he learned long ago that when you give someone something for free they don't value it. After thinking about it for a bit I tended to agree. If had to pay for that drink I wouldn't have left it.

With scholarships and grants you have to work for them.

Fern

And that's why universal free high school education across the developed world has led to much worse economic outcomes. We should switch to the third world model where you pay for every grade you get.

Wait what.

 

[BoberFett]

I thought community college was already practically free?

 

[umbrella39]

And here I paid my college tuition in full by myself like a stupid chump! And will be paying for everyone else's college tuition on top of it!

I wonder if the mentor is paid for by the government as well?

So you went to a community college?

Would you rather pay for people's welfare check every month, have several babies you pay for, their bridge cards, their Medicaid...

I think if a republican suggested this I think you'd be lauding it as a solution to the things conservatives bitch about all the time in regards to "free rides".

At least this makes people work for their government monies... would give people educations, have a limit on it (the first 2 years of college only) and not an open ended check to collect welfare and the other things I mentioned for their entire lives.

You needn't worry, this has zero chance of passing in the house and senate. Status quo. Continue the way things are... free government cheese for anyone who wants to be lazy and live off your money. Well thought out.

I'd rather part with a small portion of my hard earned cash now for someone to attain an associates degree in nursing and be able to support their family themselves than to just hand them over a free check for their entire adult lives which costs a hell of a lot more in the long run.

 

[BoberFett]

And that's why universal free high school education across the developed world has led to much worse economic outcomes. We should switch to the third world model where you pay for every grade you get.

Wait what.

Seriously, how many high school students do you know that actually value their education? Unless things have changed since I was in school, most kids are there for sports, socializing, or whatever else they can find to do while they're putting up with being forced to be there. It's a small minority of students that actually care about studying.

Keep in mind that lots of these people who you're claiming value their free high school come out of that high school and need to take remedial courses in college. And these are the college bound kids, much less those that don't go to college.

Americans do not value education, giving it to them for free doesn't seem to increase their appreciation for it. It's a cultural problem, not a financial one.

 

[ivwshane]

Sounds good to me!

 

[chowderhead]

The restaurant gave you the free drink to build good well and hopefully repeat business. Your time is important I would assume so the restaurant invested something now in the hopes of more business in the future. That is a similar concept here. I rather they spend the money like this than endless wars and tax cuts for millionaires.

 

[halik]

What does community service have anything do with it? Both my brother and I worked during college in jobs relevant to our majors; if anything you should be mandating that coop or some sort of work-experience is needed.

About the last thing this country needs is more kids going to college for unemployable degrees while dicking around with "save the world" type of extracurricular activities. China's army of engineering grads vs our social justice and minor in women studies "graduates"

 

[fskimospy]

Seriously, how many high school students do you know that actually value their education? Unless things have changed since I was in school, most kids are there for sports, socializing, or whatever else they can find to do while they're putting up with being forced to be there. It's a small minority of students that actually care about studying.

Keep in mind that lots of these people who you're claiming value their free high school come out of that high school and need to take remedial courses in college. And these are the college bound kids, much less those that don't go to college.

Americans do not value education, giving it to them for free doesn't seem to increase their appreciation for it. It's a cultural problem, not a financial one.

Do you think America is better off or worse off with universal high school education vs the pay by year model of the developing world?

 

[TheSiege]

Seriously, how many high school students do you know that actually value their education? Unless things have changed since I was in school, most kids are there for sports, socializing, or whatever else they can find to do while they're putting up with being forced to be there. It's a small minority of students that actually care about studying.

Keep in mind that lots of these people who you're claiming value their free high school come out of that high school and need to take remedial courses in college. And these are the college bound kids, much less those that don't go to college.

Americans do not value education, giving it to them for free doesn't seem to increase their appreciation for it. It's a cultural problem, not a financial one.

A lot of what you mentioned has to do with maturity. If you want a good comparison you would really need to compare the grades of people who were given grants as opposed to people who paid out of pocket (not family money) in similar, if not identical classes I would guess that people who want a higher education are going to value it, no matter who foots the bill.

 

[Matt1970]

I thought community college was already practically free?

It is, but there are a lot of families that make too much to qualify for grants or student aid but maybe not enough to afford college. Everyone who want to should get the chance to go to college. We aren't exactly busting at the seams with manufacturing jobs anymore. I might up the work requirement, but I like this.

 

[MongGrel]

Unless I'm mistaken, I believe Barbados has been doing that exact thing decades now, just like High School in the US.

For students that are serious about education, I believe you have to maintain a GPA, etc.

Doesn't sound like a bad idea to me.

 

[michal1980]

more handouts. Just like a good liberal. only costing taxpayers 34 billion dollars a year, so that our burger flippers have two years of college.

 

[MongGrel]

more handouts. Just like a good liberal. only costing taxpayers 34 billion dollars a year, so that our burger flippers have two years of college.

Not even bothering.

 

[Blanky]

I'm more or less okay with more state/fed paid education, but only if it's real education. That means you don't get to put any time into a liberal arts degree unless you can convincingly show you truly appreciate what you're doing. None of this silliness where you spend 5-6 years on a sociology degree and then go work at the Gap nonsense. It's not helping anybody.

 

[ivwshane]

Germany provides education for free including college.

 

[MongGrel]

I'm more or less okay with more state/fed paid education, but only if it's real education. That means you don't get to put any time into a liberal arts degree unless you can convincingly show you truly appreciate what you're doing. None of this silliness where you spend 5-6 years on a sociology degree and then go work at the Gap nonsense. It's not helping anybody.

+1

 

[michal1980]

So you went to a community college?

Would you rather pay for people's welfare check every month, have several babies you pay for, their bridge cards, their Medicaid...

I think if a republican suggested this I think you'd be lauding it as a solution to the things conservatives bitch about all the time in regards to "free rides".

At least this makes people work for their government monies... would give people educations, have a limit on it (the first 2 years of college only) and not an open ended check to collect welfare and the other things I mentioned for their entire lives.

You needn't worry, this has zero chance of passing in the house and senate. Status quo. Continue the way things are... free government cheese for anyone who wants to be lazy and live off your money. Well thought out.

I'd rather part with a small portion of my hard earned cash now for someone to attain an associates degree in nursing and be able to support their family themselves than to just hand them over a free check for their entire adult lives which costs a hell of a lot more in the long run.

8 hours of volunteering = work? LOL. how hard is it to get a c+ at a community college, isn't that like showing up?

 

[brycejones]

more handouts. Just like a good liberal. only costing taxpayers 34 billion dollars a year, so that our burger flippers have two years of college.

You flunked out of community college didn't you?

 

[michal1980]

Not even bothering.

because its just easier to always give away other peoples money. Then to actually say a program is or will be stupid.

 

[5150Joker]

As long as that "education" isn't wasted on the liberal arts then it's a good idea. They should specifically cater it to students pursuing the sciences since that is what the US is lacking w/respect to other nations like S. Korea, China and Japan.

 

[michal1980]

Germany provides education for free including college.

so?