Free community college proposed by President
While our national defense is being slashed to the bone, the President announced yesterday on Facebook that he’s going to propose that the government will pay for a community college education for everyone who “works for it”.
The White Hose blog details the plan;
The requirements:
What students have to do: Students must attend community college at least half-time, maintain a 2.5 GPA, and make steady progress toward completing their program.
What community colleges have to do: Community colleges will be expected to offer programs that are either 1) academic programs that fully transfer credits to local public four-year colleges and universities, or 2) occupational training programs with high graduation rates and lead to in-demand degrees and certificates. Community colleges must also adopt promising and evidence-based institutional reforms to improve student outcomes.
What the federal government has to do: Federal funding will cover three-quarters of the average cost of community college. Participating states will be expected to contribute the remaining funds necessary to eliminate the tuition for eligible students.
Well, you know what? We already pay for a substandard education in our public schools – an education that would negate the need for Community Colleges if our government teachers did their jobs. This will be an excuse for them to do even less teaching. What does a GPA even mean anymore?
As I’ve written here before, I went to college twenty years after I graduated from high school and I didn’t learn or do anything differently than I had learned in high school. That’s called education inflation. I knocked out my first year of college with CLEP tests because I took college prep classes in high school.
So the troops are taking pay cuts to fund this completely useless social program. The Defense Department wants to scrap weapons programs like the A-10 so that the government can hand everyone a 2-year college degree that won’t be worth the paper it’s printed on. But the teachers’ unions will stand and applaud, and that’s what really counts.
I’m pretty sure that the “everyone who is willing to work for it” will turn into “it’s my “right” to get a free college education” within a few months.
Category: Schools
“I’m pretty sure that the “everyone who is willing to work for it” will turn into “it’s my “right” to get a free college education” within a few months.”
Already happening in the Great NW.
Of course I’m sure anyone who is a natural born citizen and whose income is more than the national level for poverty will be disqualified as well as their adult children.
Basically, middle-class America is being made to dig its own grave.
Education should be a right. We are a society not a collection of individuals. If it were truly every man for himself I sure as shit would not have had any interest in public service or national defense.
The military essentially is a giant social welfare program so I find is nauseating that most of the service community on this thread complaining about education spending have received far more than the Average american with respect to the benefit of tax dollars spent. Some of you never served a single day in wartime either. Just a few years, or for some – an entire career, getting free housing, medical, training, a retirement, and education benefits and lifetime VA benefits. So before you complain about investing in education in our country maybe we should consider how much of our defense spending was actually necessary. Particularly most weapons programs.
“Free”
http://www.quickmeme.com/img/f6/f67334bc58f2468bad15312669d5edaa0afe4c44de4eb56039994a47f00d296b.jpg
Why should anyone not like this? Hell it’s free. I am waiting for my free Bubble-Up and Rainbow stew to be served.
With a silver spoon, beneath those skies of blue!
What disturbs me even more is the President being on Facebook. We all know what kind of time suck Facebook is. Shouldn’t he be doing something useful, like actually being President or something?
I’d rather have him playing golf than this kind of thing. If he’s golfing, he’s not further destroying our economy.
Hell, the only thing Dear Leader has ever done is announce to his minions, “Go forth and wreak destruction on the land,” then hit the first tee. It’s worked pretty well for him so far.
Point taken.
And I cannot get the goddamn VA to pony up the money for my GI Bill. But lets create and illegal alien education program!!
You just hit the nail on the head.
Exactly. This moron who calls himself el presidente has no other plan in mind than edumacation for illegals. Even the stupid teachers unions know it. And applaud.
So does that mean military personnel contributing to whatever education program is currently being pushed will get refunds?
Ha.
We’re all going to be “contributing” to this abortion. It’s called “taxes.”
It’ll flop as soon as the free shut crew finds out they have to open a book. Not to mention that part about having to work.
Oh, the moment a failing grade is given to a black “student” there will be claims of racism and failing grades will be removed from the collegiate system.
Don’t laugh–our local school district has done away with letter grades and pass/fail all the way K-12.
Are you serious? How are you supposed to know if your child needs improvement in an area if all you get is a pass or fail? that is absurd and it has to be against some sort of educational code or standard. It has to be or should be.
No grades, no attendance requirements, free lattés and Air Jordans for everyone.
Let me give Fearless Leader here a quick lesson in economics, in 14 words:
The last sentence is actually not needed when dealing with anyone having common sense. Since I’m addressing the current
DC clown kreweAdministration here, I thought it necessary to add it.The same applies to education.
^^Like^^
Or, as RA Heinlein put it in “The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress”, TANSTAAFL, There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch.
Your right someone pays for it. Like all of us who already PAID for our college education! WTF! this is insane on so many levels as not to even be laughable. Cryable if that is even a word (it is now, because if you correct me your a racist)! My education cost a lot more than I could afford AT THAT TIME! But its supposed too! If its was free than thats exactly what it would be worth, NOTHING!
More vote-buying for the “GIMME, GIMME, GIMME!” crowd, that’s all I see!
It is a political stunt. Community Colleges right now are about the cheapest education you can get. Yes, as Jonn said, if Public Schools were doing their jobs there wouldn’t be a “need for them”.. in most cases (my addition to this line of thought.)
While many Community College goers are kids being forced by their parents to give college a try, or are there to get their grades up because they cannot get into a 4 year college, there are a great many who go because it is so affordable, and like the one I went to it provided a path to more traditional Colleges and Universities due to their high standing acedemically. We had transfer agreements with a large number of State and Private Institutions, and a large number of those students I graduated with went on and continued their educations. Most who were there because mom and dad made them lasted the first semester and were gone.
You could pay for the education working a part time job as it is. The cost to attend is minimal compared to even in state tuition at State Colleges. There is no need to make it “free”, and a GPA of 2.5? That is barely breathing in a Community College, with little or no effort to maintain. That is not “working for it”, that is slacking off and doing the bare minimum to get by.
I had a 3.89, and though I had to do a lot of work in some of the classes, most were a cake walk. Especially the core requirements of English, Math and Social Sciences. I’m not saying this to pat myself on the back, but that was 20 years after High School, raising two kids, and working at the same time.
Stop making excuses and giving handouts, it only rewards laziness and expands the entitlement mentality that is killing this country.
The local county college started as an ag school in an agricultural county, and has since developed a more STEM-oriented program, which is what is WANTED in the job markets now. The college has transfer agreements with a huge number of 4 year schools and some universities with graduate schools, so you can start there and get the requirements out of the way, take some of your electives, too, and then transfer to the larger campuses when you’re ready. The tuitio nis reasonable, and there is a state tuition program for vets, too, because it’s a state school.
It is not enough to hand out education with no direction to it. If that moronic pretzel-brained dill pickle in the White House had an ounce of common sense, he’d shut his silly mouth and go play golf instead of touting a program like this. But he has to say something that makes him ‘feel good’, right?
On the other hand, bodparez frequently yaks out of both sides of his mouth, so he can propose it, but that does not mean it will go anywhere. I would not get my shorts in a bunch over this.
Community colleges also provide an education in the trades, something that’s sorely lacking. Get an education in something concrete like medical technician or auto repair and you’ll make just as much or more than those graduating from 4-year (or 6 year) universities, most of whom are lucky to find a job at Starbucks.
This is brilliant. The President knows there is no way this will pass with a Republican controlled congress. So he proposes, they shut it down, then in 2016 the Democrats run on “Mean Republicans don’t want you to have an education.”
^^^ THIS
Congress can’t even reauthorize HEA. This is a political ploy.
It’s the Oprah presidency: “You get some free stuff, you get some free stuff, everybody gets some free stuff!!!”
I heard it was tuition.
The whole room, board, books/lab and transpo is not covered?
In other words an ROTC scholarship?
A good community college is an absolute necessity.
I know many many people who have either returned to school or gone back to school using community colleges.
I am a huge advocate of the college transfer program, but not Obamas proposed free system, its all smoke and mirrors, for most people if the maintain a 2,5 gpa its pretty much free anyway, using pell grants and other programs such as lottery money ect.
Community colleges teach things like electrical installation, tool and die making, heat and ac work as well welding and other essential trades.
They dont waste money on athletic programs and other useless events.
Now I will admit I am a bit biased, I attended and later taught at a community college, I saw students that wanted to be there, they worked all day and went to class at night, my fellow instructors were all at the top of their respective trades. The academic staff was top notch, we had many students from NC state and other large universities that would attended math, physics and english courses, because they transferred and the class sizes were smaller.
So Obama is trying to give something we already have. We have access to quality free or low cost education, we just need to take advantage of it.
Hey-I was a community college instructor once as well (and also in NC, though farther west I think). I agree that Community College academics get a bad rap; for intro level courses at the University you would probably get graduate assistants or TAs teaching the class, so the instruction at Community Colleges is probably better in that the instructor has likely spent years teaching the class and has refined his class material, presentations and assessments over that time. However, there are some Community Colleges that do support athletics (some near me have baseball, basketball and a few other sports), though on a much smaller scale than the universities.
When I hear knocks about Community College academics I’m always reminded of the guy about 20 years or so ago who cheated is way into Yale from a Community College in California.
http://www.nytimes.com/1995/04/12/nyregion/yale-says-it-sees-an-impostor-in-the-ivy.html
He worked in the registrars office at the community college and inflated his GPA somewhat, as well as using college letter head to create letters of recommendation.
The irony was that when he was eventaully busted (he didn’t keep his mouth shut until graduation), his GPA at Yale exceeded the GPA he actually received at his community college.
Hey Barry! You don’t get to make me pay for somebody else’s shit and call it “free!”
Fuck you very much,
Whitey
I put myself through college and started at the community college level. By the time I got to my four year school, my general education requirements were done and I could focus on my major.
So do I get to benefit from this? My local community college has votech classes that I could benefit from.
Mine has a complete curriculum leading to the CPA exams, with credits transferable to the various unversities around here.
They also offer the vocational ed classes like a commercial/trucker’s license, diesel mechanics, etc. Their entire aim is to get people into the work force. I have no issues with community colleges.
However, while it’s that old ‘feel good’ thing again, let’s remember that in 1964, LBJ declared the war on poverty, which led us where?
I’m not saying that will happen with this, if it should get put into action, but it seems to be a bit over the top for someone who hasn’t done one single useful thing with his life except look good in a suit.
Already dealt with one pinhead who was arguing that this was all part of the federal government “promoting the general welfare” and “investing in America.”
And my dad wonders why I’m such a misanthrope.
This is racist! I demand a free Harvard education.
Man, I can’t do it for free… but if you send me $40 I will send you a really nice Lab Coat!
Includes a PhD?
They better hurry if they want to push this through; there are a rapidly decreasing number of community colleges left. The vast majority of them have been converting as fast as they can to four-year schools to compete for those dollars, because of a shrinking pool of people getting 2-year degrees that aren’t perceived as worth anything in a tightly competitive job market.
In other words, it’s an artificial boost intended to prolong the existence of an institution of dubious value in today’s world. How could we have any doubt it was our esteemed President’s idea?
A local private 4-year college added a master’s degree program so that it can get the label ‘university’.
They do have a very practical program, however, but it’s a private school so the tuition is much higher than the state schools.
I currently attend a semi-local (45 miles away) state university. Well, technically it’s called a college, even though they have a master’s program; I don’t know what’s up with that. Either way, they are very light on the vocational, although they do actually have a surprisingly good set of science and math classes for being a liberal arts college. (And boy do they try to put the ‘liberal’ in that.)
They are constantly bemoaning the difficulties in getting students in the door with the increased competition. I can’t help but think they might have better luck if they were not so overtly hostile to anybody not visibly from what they consider a majority, ‘privileged’ class.
Jonn, although I have nothing but respect for your experience, I must say that when I got to college I learned a few things that were not taught at my high school. Chiefly, Micro Economics and Macro Economics. From what I recall, government subsidies create surplus, increase costs, and invite waste fraud and abuse.
Predictions:
1.} We will soon have a surplus of folks with Associates Degrees that will not have the skills to find gainful employment at the new and improved minimum wage rate (another act of economic suicide).
2.) The curriculum will be dumbed down. The incentive for the colleges will be to acquire the government funding, NOT to provide a quality eduction.
3.) The costs of a community college education will skyrocket.
4.) Many Academic Universities will cease to transfer credits from community colleges, thereby making an Associates degree even more worthless.
5.) As we speak, there are people plotting how to defraud this program and get rich. (Anticipate the homeless being enrolled in community colleges near you.)
6.) This program will provide more incentive for illegal immigration.
I hope our next President has a background in Economics instead of Constitutional Law, writing autobiographies (2 at last count), and ice cream serving.
GDContractor…the best programs in our local community colleges are not prep classes for a 4 year degree. By far they are, Machinists, Auto Body Techs, Auto Mechanics, Electricians, Plumbing, Pipe Fitting and Welding. When you graduate you are ready to enter the local union’s apprenticeship programs, a lot having been accomplished on the job while in school. These are very high paying, in demand job skills that have great futures and will be in demand always. Two years of high school extension programs without challenging courses such as your Economics are rather worthless wastes of time and money and many, still fail to transfer their credits to a 4 year school because, they coasted through, as they did in high school. So the middle of the second year when the counselor says, “Pick an AA degree of any kind we can plug your credits into because you have been turned down with your 1.5 to 2.0 GPA for state university. Plus you took no courses the 4 year school will accept to place you into their Sophomore program. So at least leave here with an AA in something with a good sounding name”. I have seen and heard it happen here many more times than once.
Sparks – no argument here. I did my time at a community college while working towards a (worthless) 4 year degree. As for my two sons, they will feel the pressure from me to seriously consider the Electrician and Welding trades. I still think the government will totally hose the community college education thing though. As they have done with Healthcare. Just one more example of something that is not broke that they intend to fix. Fortunes will be made, but not by anyone attending a community college.
“Participating states will be expected to contribute the remaining funds necessary to eliminate the tuition for eligible students.”
So tell me, is this what we another “unfunded mandate”? We already are loaded to the gills in our state with these. This is what we need now, another county, state and maybe city tax to cover Junior trying to learn what he should have been taught in high school, had he not been “socially promoted” through school with a worthless diploma but a wonderful “Pride Inside” bumper sticker for the folks. My state is one that will on this like white on rice.
O bummas throwing a bone to the unions. With states reducing the size and power of government unions, this is the kick they need to get a few dollars and increase the membership. More teachers more dues. Another left wing power grab !
“As I’ve written here before, I went to college twenty years after I graduated from high school and I didn’t learn or do anything differently than I had learned in high school.”
I got my BS when I was 50. I have to say it was easier than high school. Total waste of my time and money.
“academic programs that fully transfer credits to local public four-year colleges and universities” – good luck with that in Texas. Both in El Paso and Houston, family members have tried to transfer credits and have found that (probably from a cash-flow incentive) Texas universities tend not to recognize credits from anywhere else. If you take a local community college course, odds are very good it will NOT be accepted at the university level. Some years back, my wife had her fully accredited Bachelor’s transcript evaluated. Out of the 120 hours she had taken (and received her BA for) UTEP accepted all of 38 hours – and wanted her to take the remaining 82 hour on-campus.
If you do not verify a community college course here is accepted by the prospective 4 year college you want to go to – and it varies from school to school! – you can easily wind up with a 2 years Associates , of which NO credits will transfer.
Maybe the staff of FirsTech Solutions can enroll in some remedial English classes. They way that they write their threats on here, it is no wonder they can’t land any government contracts.
Probably even more important than spelling, grammar, and sentence structure is FONT SIZE. Phildo learned that one the hard way. Hopefully they will offer a three credit hour course in “How to Select a Font Size”. That would really get our economy moving… that and “How to Reverse Engineer a Mailbox Door”.
Brought to you by #BringElaineRicciHome
How could I keep forgetting the Elaine Ricci hash tag? Not sure if they will be posting the “Elaine Ricci” death threats, but for someone that graduated from one of the top five schools in the country and was a “pedigreed K Street lobbyist”, she cannot express herself very will. She faces the same spelling, grammar and sentence challenges that Paul Wickre faces.
#BringElaineRicciHome
Over 18 TRILLION dollars in the hole (funded and unfunded, depending on who’s doing the counting), and this Obola Empty Suit wants to keep digging.
I had CLEP’ed an AS degree upon leaving the Navy, and my employer picked up the tab for my BS degree (Embry-Riddle, dear old Airplane U). I had to buy the books and maintain a 3.0 minimum. The idea being for me to be a more marketable employee for the company to compete on Government contracts. Worked like a champ! Except for the part where I went to the boss and asked for a raise, being more marketable and all. “Errr, sorry AW1Ed, that’s not in the budget. We can talk at your next annual evaluation.”
So I fired them and went to work for a competitor at a 40% pay raise. Don’t piss down my back and tell me it’s raining.
Oh, and what The Other Whitey said. Sick and tired of Barry spending my money to appease his base.
“So I fired them and went to work for a competitor at a 40% pay raise.”
Fired your employer. Nice.
Hired another. Nicer.
Allowed your new hire to give you a 40% raise. Nicest.
The great thing about this from the Dear Leader’s perspective is that he now has two years of high school grads not searching for non-existent or low paying jobs.
Obammacare is not working for his legacy so free college for the win. Pure outrage is me. Joe
Of course, one must enroll in Marxist theory and Obamanomics to qualify.
Free college! Free cell phone! Free p****!
OK, I made up the last one, but if Obama sticks around long enough … Where’s mine?
OK, look; I know I’m an ignorant knuckle dragger so help me out.
Don’t states already have programs in place that provide assistance for low income families? And aren’t there scholarships available for people with good enough grades? And don’t we have the GI Bill that covers a good chunk of education?
If so, why is this necessary?
I noticed this at the freshman and sophomore years, that’s part of the reason I said, “Fuck it,” dropped out and joined the military. When I started back up, with Tuition Assistance help, the emphasis changed. The stuff that we did in high school, freshman and sophomore years weren’t sufficient. They shifted more towards using data and coming up with your own argument based on the concepts taught, additional research material, etc. I learned more in that setting, sitting in a class on post, than I did at a traditional university.
Then I did my MBA online, with Touro University International, now Trident. I learned even more going that route than I did sitting in a classroom. The shift was more on how well you could research data and apply it to your current employment setting, within the bounds of the classes overall learning objectives. One of the neat things with online, and accredited, degrees is that they get you in touch with the latest (at the time) in the field that you’re getting the degree in. LOTS of research and writing involved.
For example, there was a new way of forming the finance reports which was slightly different from the traditional way they taught in the undergrad.
As for the quality of high schools, I had a pretty good program at the high school I went to. I took a few college level courses that were “rougher” than many of the classes I took during my freshman year.
More government control riding in on a “Government Horse.”
We never have a shortage of idiots that’d keep accepting Trojan horses from D.D. as if they’re gifts. 🙄
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2015/01/09/252584_6-reasons-the-math-on-obamas-college.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy
I meant, “D.C.” Those guys are a bunch of “boobs” anyway, might as well be “D.D.”
I sure hope our new Congress has the balls to stand up to this lunacy.
So the taxpayers pay for two years of college. What will that get us? A bunch of people who now almost are reading and writing at 12th grade level as almost every school out is complaining about the number of freshmen in remedial classes that are needed just to prep them for the college level courses they signed up for.
Yep, this is gonna work real well.
Another potential downside will be that the few employers who do offer TA (like mine) will pull the plug if the govt is willing to pay for it.