Free Community College?

#1
volinbham

volinbham

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#1
Wow.

Obama to propose two free years of community college for students - Allie Grasgreen - POLITICO

A couple non-surprise lines from the story:

Community colleges must also adopt “promising and evidence-based institutional reforms” to improve student outcomes.
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Hmmm, wonder which government appointed panel mandates the reforms

Federal funding would cover three-quarters of the average cost of community college, and Obama is asking states to pick up the rest of the tab
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Afterall, we have all this money laying around.
 
#2
#2
I know that I'm in the minority here, but I don't mind paying higher taxes for better access to higher education. However, like our "universal healthcare" this will probably be a failure.
 
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#3
#3
Wondering when someone would make a thread about this. Can't wait until they tell us how they are going to "pay" for this. It's a rhetorical question but I am interesting in their attempt to answer such a question.
 
#4
#4
VOLatile said:
I know that I'm in the minority here, but I don't mind paying higher taxes for better access to higher education. However, like our "universal healthcare" this will probably be a failure.
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We don't have universal healthcare.
 
#5
#5
VOLatile said:
I know that I'm in the minority here, but I don't mind paying higher taxes for better access to higher education. However, like our "universal healthcare" this will probably be a failure.
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what do you consider better access?

The article suggests that CC would cost a student $3900 a year.
 
#6
#6
PKT_VOL said:
Wondering when someone would make a thread about this. Can't wait until they tell us how they are going to "pay" for this. It's a rhetorical question but I am interesting in their attempt to answer such a question.
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Well using the WH #s they suggest 9 million students at 3900/year. Do the math for the total; double it and that would be the annual cost of the program.

As for "how" we pay for it - the same way we pay for everything else.
 
#7
#7
PKT_VOL said:
Wondering when someone would make a thread about this. Can't wait until they tell us how they are going to "pay" for this. It's a rhetorical question but I am interesting in their attempt to answer such a question.
Click to expand...

I discussed this with my county's former State Representative. He told me that it will be paid using the pool from the Tennessee Lottery. Apparently, there is enough in excess from the Hope Scholarships to provide the two years free of community college for all eligible students.
 
#9
#9
We have been discussing this a little in the Obama visiting Knoxville thread. He is evidently modeling this after Gov Haslem TN plan that all high school graduates get 2 years of community or tech college starting in 2015.

It is a better way to spend tax payer money vs how government normally waste it. I like the Haslem plan, haven't seen Obama's plan.
 
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#10
#10
volinbham said:
Well using the WH #s they suggest 9 million students at 3900/year. Do the math for the total; double it and that would be the annual cost of the program.

As for "how" we pay for it - the same way we pay for everything else.
Click to expand...

I highly doubt they would come out and state directly "by adding to the national debt". They would make some sort of halfhearted attempt of implementing a new tax, raising general taxes (or eliminating a deduction), or cutting spending somewhere else in the budget.
 
#11
#11
JoeKyleVol said:
I discussed this with my county's former State Representative. He told me that it will be paid using the pool from the Tennessee Lottery. Apparently, there is enough in excess from the Hope Scholarships to provide the two years free of community college for all eligible students.
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Is there a national lottery?

States are expected to contribute 25% of the tab. I guess it will save Tennessee some money :crazy:
 
#13
#13
JoeKyleVol said:
I discussed this with my county's former State Representative. He told me that it will be paid using the pool from the Tennessee Lottery. Apparently, there is enough in excess from the Hope Scholarships to provide the two years free of community college for all eligible students.
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For the 25% the state would have to pay or the 75% for the federal government or 100% by the state? What about those states which do not have a lottery?
 
#15
#15
PKT_VOL said:
I highly doubt they would come out and state directly "by adding to the national debt". They would make some sort of halfhearted attempt of implementing a new tax, raising general taxes (or eliminating a deduction), or cutting spending somewhere else in the budget.
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I'll go ahead and bet that it isn't a new tax (at least from the admin) but their argument is that it will pay off in the future in some way - it will pay for itself like ACA (will not raise the deficit by one dime).
 
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#17
#17
Gramps said:
He is talking about the TN plan not the national plan
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I know but the national plan is based on the TN plan. Presumably the national plan would save TN 75%.

It's fine if Tennessee wants to do this and has a revenue source. Proposing it at a national level without a comparable revenue source is irresponsible IMHO.
 
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#18
#18
volinbham said:
I'll go ahead and bet that it isn't a new tax (at least from the admin) but their argument is that it will pay off in the future in some way - it will pay for itself like ACA (will not raise the deficit by one dime).
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Anybody that trusts this White House or Congress with numbers at this point should be declared incompetent (pulling from the other thread).
 
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#19
#19
Dave1967 said:
Cool idea but who will pay for it?
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If it is modeled after the Tennessee Promise plan it the federal government supplies the grants they have been giving,nothing more, the state picks up the balance which in TN comes from the lottery. It is a very good plan, imo.
 
#20
#20
Dave1967 said:
Cool idea but who will pay for it?
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providing educational opportunities is a cool idea in general.

However, given the poor performance of our K-12 "free" education I have limited believe that extended this free but abiding by Federal standards education will yield much different results.
 
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#21
#21
volinbham said:
I know but the national plan is based on the TN plan. Presumably the national plan would save TN 75%.

It's fine if Tennessee wants to do this and has a revenue source. Proposing it at a national level without a comparable revenue source is irresponsible IMHO.
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How is it going to save TN money?
 
#22
#22
Gramps said:
If it is modeled after the Tennessee Promise plan it the federal government supplies the grants they have been giving,nothing more, the state picks up the balance which in TN comes from the lottery. It is a very good plan, imo.
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can you explain this? Are you saying that this program would add no new monies from the Feds?
 
#24
#24
My post was only concerning the TN Promise plan. I have no clue about the national plan.
 
#25
#25
volinbham said:
can you explain this? Are you saying that this program would add no new monies from the Feds?
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It does not under the TN plan per my understanding. The students do as they have been for years, apply for federal grants,the federal money is applied for tuition, then the State of Tennessee pays the remainder of the balance out of the lottery fund we have in place, the Hope Scholarship.
 
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