COCC reacts to Obama call for free community college

On Friday, President Barack Obama unveiled his proposal to make two years of community college free for responsible students.

He announced his plan Thursday night on Facebook. The America’s College Promise proposal rewards students willing to “work for it,” meaning those who attend at least half time, maintain a 2.5 GPA and make steady progress toward completing the program by eliminating their tuition.

If supported in Congress, the program could benefit up to 9 million students across the country, saving an average of $3,800 in tuition per year.

At Central Oregon Community College, reaction to the proposal was mixed. For some, community college is a stepping stone. And for Kira Neil, a COCC freshman with plans to transfer to Oregon State University-Cascades Campus, the proposal has large implications.

“Just knowing that the first two years of COCC could be paid off for somebody, that just takes a huge load off,” Neil said late Thursday.

The program is based on the Tennessee Promise program, proposed by the state’s Republican Gov. Bill Haslam. The program began in 2014, with the first class of students earning free community college set for fall of this year.

Under the plan, the federal government would pay about three-fourths of the students’ tuition, with participating states expected to cover the rest.

But before you start making your higher education plans, COCC warns that the program might not work in Oregon.

“Unfortunately, Oregon ranks 47 th of the 50 states for funding towards community colleges” Director of College Relations Ron Paradis said. “So the question would be, if community colleges are free and students don’t pay tuition, would the state replace that money? Right now, that doesn’t sound very likely, because that’s a lot of money.”

Paradis also said that while the school is in no way opposed to the proposal, he fears the program could lead to cuts in classes and programs if not properly backed by the state.

Even those who could be saving thousands in tuition are wary of the proposal. Don Eykelbosch is supporting his daughter’s COCC education as she prepares to pursue a career in dental hygiene. He says he’d rather pay for it all now rather than have it come back to her in the future.

“Somebody’s going to have to pay for it eventually, whether it be through taxes or something else, so I’m generally not in favor of piling on more debt,” Eykelbosch says.

Students also commented that they would like to see how the program plays out in Tennessee before seeing it implemented in Oregon.