It will shock no one that having a college degree makes it easier to find work that pays well.
The latest unemployment figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for December are a good example. For those 25 years and older, among those with a high school diploma, the unemployment rate in the last month of the year was 5.3 percent. It was 4.7 percent for those with some college or an associate’s degree and 3 percent for those with a bachelor’s degree or above. (It’s a subject for another day, but for those without a high school diploma, the rate was a dismal 9.1 percent.)
While community and technical colleges have always been the more affordable option when compared to four-year colleges and universities, in recent years the costs have climbed at two-year colleges as they have throughout higher education. Adding to the problem, financial aid has not kept pace with college costs, requiring students to juggle hours spent in class and hours spent on a part-time job, said Tonya Drake, interim vice president for college relations and advancement at Edmonds Community College.
President Barack Obama proposed earlier in the month to again make community colleges an affordable option by offering free tuition. Students would qualify if they attend at least halftime, maintain a 2.5 grade point average and make progress toward completing a degree or certificate program. Obama is expected to discuss his proposal more during Tuesday’s State of the Union address.
The federal government would pick up about 75 percent of the cost of the program with each state providing the balance.
The proposal has the support of officials at Edmonds and Everett community colleges.
EvCC President David Beyer said in a statement the proposal recognizes the need for advanced education as “essential for family-wage jobs and a major factor in our country’s economic success.”
Noting the investment the state of Washington is now preparing to make in K-12 education, EdCC President Jean Herandez said it will be important for higher education to be prepared to accept those students as they look to advance their education.
Community colleges make sense as the place to make this investment. Students already recognize two-year colleges as a more affordable option. Providing tuition for those first-two years will allow students to get a technical certificate or a transfer degree without having to start a career or continue college saddled with $5,000 to $8,000 in student loan debt.
We’ll need more detail on the program, specifically how Obama proposes to fund the program’s $20 billion cost over 10 years, but like highway projects, these are the kind of intellectual infrastructure programs that deliver on the investment, providing trained and educated employees for our businesses, jobs for families and economic growth for the country.
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