When you fail to study before exams...

[davewill]

Attending community college is already available to everyone- anyone- and if you're in a lower income bracket, you'll receive a Pell, which over-pays the tuition. We don't need free community college. Even at the most expensive CCs in the country, you can earn your associate's degree for about $8,000. That's $75/week - an amount most of us can swing working a few hours waiting tables.

Now- here's the big question, let's say everyone earned an associate's degree (transfer or trade occupation) what's the pay off? More skilled trades (good) and more transfer students (useless). Transfer students aren't yet trained in a skill- they have 2 more years to go! So, they're now faced with the HIGHEST cost tuition, 300/400 level. Even as a transfer student, now they're jumping into a program that's going to cost them no less than $30,000 to finish their degree- and that's only if they stay in-state and keep living expenses to the minimum. Much harder to swing....

I hate the idea of just a blanked "free community college" approach because it doesn't solve the issue- if we really do have shortages in this county in certain occupations, then fund incentives programs to attract students into those occupations.

(and even though I found the gal humorous to watch, the truth is, that speaking up is a skill I applaud)

It's a stepping stone to free 4 year college. I don't understand your antipathy to transfer students. Taking upper division doesn't cost more than lower division. The transfer student would essentially be paying half as much for their education.

Anyway, the problem that is being solved isn't shortages in certain occupations, it's the ridiculous cost of most higher education. Even at public universities it keeps rising at many times the inflation rate. I should know I've got twins I'm trying to somehow get through school. One just got in as a transfer to UCLA, and that's going to hurt.

Rant: What we really need is to stop the ridiculously extravagant expenditures that our public universities seem to think they need. University presidents don't need salaries like CEOs (of course CEOs aren't worth that money either).