It was a big applause line when President Obama went to Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville, Tennessee and said, “Community college should be free for those willing to work for it.” Specifically, the President proposes picking up the community college tuition tab for about nine million students who maintain a C+ average.
Why didn’t we think of that sooner?!
The first thing to know about President Obama’s “free” community college is that it’s not free. Economics 101 often starts with the professor writing this acronym on the chalk board: TINSTAAFL. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Somebody’s paying for every good, service or benefit, even if it’s not the person receiving it.
The “free” education would be paid for by taxpayers; 75 percent from the federal government and 25 percent from the states, for a total cost of about $60 billion over ten years.
Since this is new spending, it’s money the government will have to borrow, adding to our $18 trillion dollar debt that will fall to future generations. If the funding is new taxes, that’s money Washington is removing from the private economy and reallocating to more government.
Additionally, announcing that something is “free” devalues it. Which student do you think will take his or her education more seriously— the student who saved, earned and borrowed to attend college or the student who believes that it’s a free ride?
Community Colleges are already substantially cheaper than four-year colleges and universities. According to the College Board, average in-state tuition for community colleges this year is $3,300, compared with $9,100 at a public four-year college.
And the two-year schools already help students with tuition and fees through multiple grant, scholarship and loan programs, and some of the money available goes unused. The Charleston Daily Mail reported last week that “West Virginia high school graduates reportedly missed out on $15 million in free grants by not completing an application for federal aid last year.”
The role of community colleges is expanding, particularly in West Virginia. These schools can change curriculum more quickly and offer more flexible schedules for non-traditional students than four-year institutions. They emphasize technical training that makes graduates immediately available to enter the workforce.
The President’s proposal would nationalize community colleges, piling the bureaucracy of Washington on top of the already considerable bureaucracy of higher education. Can you imagine the red tape a school would have go through to add a new associate degree in petroleum technology to train workers for the expanding gas industry here?
If somehow President Obama’s plan is approved, one of the requirements should be for all community college students to take an entry level economics class. At least then they’ll understand the true cost of a “free” education.