(From www.brookings.edu):
By Stuart M. Butler
. . . [C]ommunity colleges can be an important first rung up the higher education ladder for many young Americans from lower-income households, and an associate degree from a community college typically provides a boost to the graduate’s income. Compared with a four-year degree, these colleges provide an alternative and less expensive two-year credential. For some, an associate degree from a community college is a much cheaper alternative to the first two years of a four-year institution and gives those students transferable course credit to use at a four-year university – something the President’s proposal would encourage.
President Obama urges Congress to make community college tuition free for all young Americans, through a proposed $60 billion (over 10 years) cost-sharing program with the states.
So, given the important role of community colleges, isn’t that a good idea? Unfortunately not, for several reasons. CONTINUE READING HERE