Well, the taxpayers of my state paid for my kid because the program was offered as it is in many states already making a national program unnecessary in my opinion. If state’s want to provide this, that’s fine by me. Tennessee is doing it with a lottery. Again. No problem. This is why they call the states the laboratories of democracy and they are all a little or maybe a lot different. And, I have already stated that had my kid been required to pay and wanted to take the courses he would have found a way to pay for them as they were not very expensive and he is pretty good with the whole motivation thing when he has a goal. No goal, not so much, though. It’s not like I wanted him to go for free. I didn’t care one bit and he found the free program all by himself and as he learned in third grade from a well-intentioned teacher who was passing out candy, “If it’s free, take it”. Personally, I’m not entirely sure that was a great lesson. But, it stuck.
If you didn’t want your kid to go to college on the taxpayers’ dime, all you had to do was write a check. Your son’s third grade teacher had nothing to do with that.
Okay, you are intentionally misunderstanding something here. My example of my kid was to make the point that free CC already exists in the states that want it to exist. And, of course, people will take things because they are free, which doesn’t make them needed or particularly beneficial. Why would I write a check when he is waving a fee waiver at me? I didn’t care one way or the other. He applied and got it and was surprised by how many classmates never bothered to apply. But, he could have worked. That would have been fine, too.
I mean, I guess we could say if you want to pay higher taxes go ahead, no-one is stopping you. But, I don’t think too many people are going to do that either.
It’s not mandatory to take money from a government program. If a person is against a government program he or she doesn’t have to take the money. Don’t take the money. I haven’t taken all the money my daughter is eligible to receive. I haven’t maxed out my tax breaks. I worked 40 hours a week the first two years I went to college and 30 hours the third year. I don’t think everybody should do what I did. Why should everybody do what I do or did? And there are people that have had it a lot harder than I did. A lot harder. I don’t want their problems.
Taxpayers still paid for part of my college costs. There is a social good in community college education.
Taxpayers pay for community college programs. I pay state taxes, federal taxes, local taxes. The money doesn’t seem to care which entity is taxing me. The money leaves my pockets. 
We are talking about $ 6 billion a year? How large is the US economy? The collapse in oil prices alone dwarfs $6 billion a year and is putting a lot more than $6 billion into taxpayer pockets.
$6 billion is not even a rounding error in this economy.
We should try this program…and we should do something about the student debt issue. Maybe cut interest rates so people can actually buy things. End over time the inability to get rid of student debt in bankruptcy which strangles the economy. Right now…we are giving gifts to the financial community and schools that are a lot more than $6 billion a year.
The student loan problem is not coming from CC’s which cost an average of 3k per year, though. And, would the kids taking out huge loans to attend a 4-year school go to a CC instead because it’s free. I kinda doubt it. And, I have one of those, too.
This cc program could be good for society and we can easily afford it. I am not a lawyer, but I am a finance guy.
The change has to come from within, and unfortunately too many people wake up and their only mission is to commit crime. They do not think like us or share the same culture or goals.
Perhaps a better idea is to make all student loans interest free instead…at least then the money will be paid back.
I keep asking who is supposed to pay for this - the middle class, who is already squeezed?
No one is answering.
What? You really believe this? How about “people resort to crime when they see no other opportunities/options in their lives.” Most people want to be secure and to not worry about how they are going to feed themselves or their kids.
If we would only get rid of tax breaks for the rich; close off loopholes that allow corporations not to contribute their fair share; reduce the size of our military-industrial complex; and support a living wage for working people…we would all be far less squeezed and we’d see less of the income inequality that hurts so many of us. Other countries have figured it out, and their citizenry is better off than ours. It shouldn’t be so difficult.
^^ and up to now we were doing a decent job of avoiding political-type statements…he-he
My response to tranquilmind was not political. People of any political persuasion could support such ideas if they are in support of helping the middle class, no?
Those ideas have nothing to do with this proposal.
I do believe that. We already have a “free” education program…it’s called High School. People already have the choice to stay in school and a get a HS diploma, but obviously make other choices. Most parents want better for their kids, but unfortunately many just don’t care and perpetuate the victim complex in their neighborhood. Free CC will just be more money down the drain! We need to reward those that put in an effort and achieve.
Of course, it will be the middle class who foots the tab. It won’t be the 1% and it won’t be the 47%…its us suckers in the remaining 52%!!! And, the kicker is we won’t receive any of the aid when we complete the FAFSA or CSS!
Lets step away from discussing the scourge of income inequality (and that Triumvirate of Evil, the Evil Rich, Greedy Corporations and the Warmongering Military-industrial complex) and back to the President’s proposal.
How would the proposal impact CC enrollment?
Another critique of the Tennessee Promise program (from December, before the President’s announcement).
@Hunt, public education thru 12th grade is not “free”. It’s paid mainly thru property taxes. It’s many things, but “free” isn’t one of them. Someone pays.
Let’s assume a cc cost of $3000. The student could be eligible for a Pell of $5700. The student could take a student loan of $ 5,500 (might be unsub’d as COA would be mostly met).
Now if the family is knowledgeable from reading CC, it would know to ‘transfer’ that tuition cost of $3000 to taxable income to the student and get almost a $2500 tax credit for the parents (assume there are $500 in fees and $500 in books to get to the $4000, or perhaps just get a $2250 credit).
That’s a lot of money for a student/family to get for a ‘free’ education. It’s not free, it’s a moneymaker.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t Pell Grant amounts dependent on COA as well as EFC? So a cc costing $3000 wouldn’t allow someone even with a 0 EFC to receive the “full” Pell?
https://www.ifap.ed.gov/dpcletters/attachments/20142015PellGrantPaymentandDisbursementSchedules.pdf