Obama's plans for College Tuition

[Professor_Adam]

This is pretty interesting. I was researching what Obama has in store regarding college aid and tuition. This is what his agenda is, according to Change.gov: The Obama-Biden Transition Team. I really like these ideas. I hope they actually get implemented.

Create the American Opportunity Tax Credit: Obama and Biden will make college affordable for all Americans by creating a new American Opportunity Tax Credit. This universal and fully refundable credit will ensure that the first $4,000 of a college education is completely free for most Americans, and will cover two-thirds the cost of tuition at the average public college or university and make community college tuition completely free for most students. Recipients of the credit will be required to conduct 100 hours of community service.

Simplify the Application Process for Financial Aid: Obama and Biden will streamline the financial aid process by eliminating the current federal financial aid application and enabling families to apply simply by checking a box on their tax form, authorizing their tax information to be used, and eliminating the need for a separate application.

[peppamint]

Sounds promising... let's hope he can get it done

[hornj]

This is pretty interesting. I was researching what Obama has in store regarding college aid and tuition. This is what his agenda is, according to Change.gov: The Obama-Biden Transition Team. I really like these ideas. I hope they actually get implemented.

Create the American Opportunity Tax Credit: Obama and Biden will make college affordable for all Americans by creating a new American Opportunity Tax Credit. This universal and fully refundable credit will ensure that the first $4,000 of a college education is completely free for most Americans, and will cover two-thirds the cost of tuition at the average public college or university and make community college tuition completely free for most students. Recipients of the credit will be required to conduct 100 hours of community service.

Simplify the Application Process for Financial Aid: Obama and Biden will streamline the financial aid process by eliminating the current federal financial aid application and enabling families to apply simply by checking a box on their tax form, authorizing their tax information to be used, and eliminating the need for a separate application.

Completely Free for most Americans? Money doesn't grow on trees. Someone is paying for it!

[creationstory]

Sounds promising... let's hope he can get it done

its not much different from the hope scholarship or lifetime learning.. except it adds a 100 hour community service requirement...

it simply doubles the hope scholarship which is essentially a tax credit...

[Professor_Adam]

Well I think getting rid of the FAFSA and replacing it with a check box on the tax return is a no-brainer. This is the kind of common sense idea I like. It really saves students and parents a great deal of time and frustration.

And, hey any increase in tax credits for education is great. If you read today's headlines tuition is only getting higher -- even in today's economy. If you go on Yahoo! News and select "most popular" it's one of the top stories today -- very interesting read.

[Gary]

its not much different from the hope scholarship or lifetime learning.. except it adds a 100 hour community service requirement...

it simply doubles the hope scholarship which is essentially a tax credit...

It's about time someone is giving hope to the unfortunate! The community service thing is a good idea. Everyone should be entitled to college if they so choose. They don't have to take it from taxpayers at the lower end. Take it from the corrupt CEO's who are grossly overpaid and underperforming. I don't know about you all but in my way of thinking, financial and corporate America have stolen enough dreams!

[Farmerboy]

It's about time someone is giving hope to the unfortunate! The community service thing is a good idea. Everyone should be entitled to college if they so choose. They don't have to take it from taxpayers at the lower end. Take it from the corrupt CEO's who are grossly overpaid and underperforming. I don't know about you all but in my way of thinking, financial and corporate America have stolen enough dreams!

I have no experience with financial aid so can't speak to that side of it. But, free college for everyone!? What are we thinking? It’s not free; we the American taxpayers will be funding this along with the enormous bailout. Also, no one is entitled to anything except their basic freedoms as laid out in the Bill of Rights. The suggestion of funding this through taxing of the rich is nothing less than communism and the redistribution of the wealth. The sad part is many if not most Americans feel the same way. I'm not attacking anyone personally but I just find it sad that we so easily dismiss our freedoms for handouts from the government.

Farmerboy

[peace123]

I am all for a check box on the tax form instead of having to fill out the FASFA.

Another thing I would like to see is aide being based on more then ones income.

I see plenty of people who are qualifying for tuition aide based on income , that due to our welfare system ( free housing, free medical, food stamps, etc.) are living better then many middle class American's who are struggling to pay their mortgage, health insurance,and groceries and going deeper into debt to pay for tuition because they do not qualify for any aid.

I am not saying the poor are not entitled to tuition aide , I would just like to see the system be based on more then income, perhaps an income minus debt system where essentials such as mortgage, health ins. costs, etc are taken into consideration.

Peace123

[dc67]

For such a young man Farmboy, you are already seeing the big picture. Congratulations to your parents. Today's society has the "If it's free it's for me" mentality. That is a big party of what got Obama elected. I will never forget the black lady in Orlando that said she wasn't going to have to worry about paying for anything because Obama was going to pay it all for her. He is paying for it with working peoples money. I am paying for me and my wife to go back to school. I know exaclty how much costs are sky rocketting, but the Government cannot continue to spend money they do not have and that is not their's in the first place. I don't know what the answer is and I do wish anyone that wanted to, could go to college but like Farmboy said, college is not in the Constitution or Bill of Rights. I am 41 and just now finishing up because when I got out of High School ,my parents couldn't afford it and I didn't want to work for it at the time. I joined the Marine Corps and learned a trade, while defending my country. The government needs to get out of the businesss of handing out other peoples money, especially to those to lazy to work for it themselves!!!!!!!


I didn't want to touch this thread because I remember how heated it got back before the election but sometimes I digress.

Doug

I have no experience with financial aid so can't speak to that side of it. But, free college for everyone!? What are we thinking? It’s not free; we the American taxpayers will be funding this along with the enormous bailout. Also, no one is entitled to anything except their basic freedoms as laid out in the Bill of Rights. The suggestion of funding this through taxing of the rich is nothing less than communism and the redistribution of the wealth. The sad part is many if not most Americans feel the same way. I'm not attacking anyone personally but I just find it sad that we so easily dismiss our freedoms for handouts from the government.

Farmerboy

[Professor_Adam]

Well I didnt' mean for this to get political. I was really much more interested in the high cost of tuition, see this story The Secret Reasons for Tuition Hikes - Yahoo! News, and what solutions are currently on the table to address it.

Does anyone have better ideas?