How Much Will Free Community Colleges Cost?

In the 2015 State of the Union, President Obama summarized a proposal for free community
college, which created a bit of debate in both parties. Operating under the premise of
community college should be as free and universal in America as high school, the plan would
provide:1
tuition-free classes for students going to school at least half-time who maintain a GPA of 2.5 or
higher and are making steady progress toward a degree or transferring to a four-year
institution.2
While the plan sounds appealing, there has been plenty of criticism of it as well. Instead of
debating either side of the coin, lets take a hard look at the facts and see what free community
college really means for students, professors and taxpayers.

What Free Community College Means for Students

Many college-seeking students have a difficult time searching for the right college and many
assume that the higher levels of education can promise higher salaries. However, higher
education also comes with the burden of loans and debt.
Certain associates degrees or two-year programs have the potential to earn $10,000 more per
year than those with a non-occupational associate's degree.2 According to Degree Central, 30
percent of people with associates degrees earn more than those with baccalaureates.4
Depending on the industry, obtaining an associates degree can be a one-way ticket to the
upper-middle class.
Top 3 Jobs That Dont Require a 4-Year Degree:3
1. Dental Hygienist - $70,201, 33+% growth 2022
2. Registered Nurse - $65,470, 19+% growth 2022
3. Web Developer - $62,500, 20+% growth 2022
Bachelors vs. Associates Degrees:
Median Salary:4
Bachelors Degree: $55,432
Associate Degree: $40,820
Unemployment Rates:5
4.0% - Bachelors
5.4% - Associates
The Facts:

 40% of college students choose community college.1

45% of all students who completed a four-year degree also attended a two-year
college.6
62% of students who earn an associates degree from a two-year public college
have no student loan debt.6
Around 77% of schools reported that they offer merit scholarships for transfer
students.11
The overall goal of this program is to allow a diverse community of students to obtain a degree
without debt. According to the proposal, this will save a full-time community college student an
average of $3,800 in tuition per year and benefit 9 million students if they meet certain
requirements.1
Conclusion: So, the question of which is more beneficial a four-year program with an
institution or a community college in terms of cost and money-back guarantee is really
dependent on the student.

What Free Community College Means for the Professor

With the opportunity to attend a community college for less than a traditional 4-year institution,
there will be a decrease in attendance rates at major universities immediately after the plan
passes. On the other hand, Ivy Tech is the nations largest statewide community college system
and educates about 200,000 students.10 This number is projected to increase if the proposal is
embraced in the coming years.
Part of proposal is geared towards helping students start their education in a community college
for no cost, then later transferring to a 4-year institution to complete the rest of their degree.
In 2013, house Democrats said that 15% of transfer students lost at least 90% of
their community college credits when moving to a new school.7
With the plan proposed by President Obama, the 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.8
The first requirement of community colleges would protect the professors of public institutions to
a degree, but this does not protect professors at private institutions.
In fact, according to a study published in the National Education Association Almanac of Higher
Education, the average salary for a full-time professor at a public community college or twoyear technical school is $72,000.9 However, the average yearly salary for professors at
independent and private institutions is $54,000.
While tuition might be lost to 4-year programs immediately after the plan would be put in place,
the requirements of the plan for community colleges still protects jobs in the public higher
education sphere. And the average yearly salary in those positions is higher than those in the

private sector, which means professors might want to move into the public sector, offsetting the
need for professors this plan would create.
In order to attract and keep students, private institutions might have to be willing to adjust their
curriculums or be more lenient with transfer requirements to keep admissions up.

What Free Community College Means for Taxpayers

Although this program is supposed to create an estimated 35% of job openings requiring at
least a bachelors degree and 30% will require an associates degree by 2020, the federal
government is only funding 75% of the average cost of community college.1
States who participate will be responsible for providing the other 25%, which includes the
additional fees students pay such as room and board. When this program begins, it would only
cost $41 million, but, by 2017, it will be raised to $951 million and by the tenth year, the cost of
the free community college will be over $60 billion.12

When the White House was asked about how the proposal will affect taxpayers, they said there
would be a significant cost:13
More than 1/3 of students have to take remedial courses when they enter college
because of a fall back in their high school curriculum.14
A study in 2007 - 2008 of college students showed that remediation cost the
nation almost $6 billion.14
When surveyed, 91% of high school instructors said their students were well
prepared, while only 26% of college instructors said their students were well prepared.14
More than 50% of US college students who require remediation wont obtain a
bachelors degree.14
31% of students graduate and receive their associates degrees, while 59% of
bachelors students graduate.4
But these extra courses aren't necessarily covered by the free community college proposal.
The federal government has only proposed to pay for the average cost of tuition for a two yearprogram. This also touches on the fear that taxpayers money may be wasted if students drop
out before completing the two years or do not make the curriculum requirements.

Conclusion: Based on the current statistics, this program would not only put the country more
in debt, but it would be putting faith into people who statistically wont finish school if they need
remedial courses. The burden on taxpayers, even at 25%, is brutal.

Sources:
1. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/community-college-tuition-top-themestate-union-speech/
2. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/09/two-year-degrees-vs-four-yeardegrees_n_2439934.html
3. http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2014/05/13/16-great-jobs-that-dontrequire-a-four-year-degree/
4. http://degreecentral.com/blog/2013/12/27/associates-degrees-vs-bachelorsdegrees/
5. http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm
6. http://baycollege.mycareerfocus.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ccadvant.jpg
7. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/09/obama-free-communitycollege_n_6446866.html
8. http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/01/08/president-proposes-makecommunity-college-free-responsible-students-2-years
9. http://work.chron.com/fulltime-community-college-professor-salary-9576.html
10. http://www.idsnews.com/article/2015/02/ciobamacontext?_h=905c05e6-902245de-a575-c6e151162262
11. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfer_admissions_in_the_United_States
12. https://www.aei.org/publication/much-will-free-community-college-cost/
13. http://dailysignal.com/2015/01/09/free-community-college-anything-free
14. http://www.knewton.com/college-readiness/infographic/