September 20, 2015

I’ve been hearing a lot about the federal government wanting to make community college free for students. The thought behind that is that education costs too much and leaves people deep in debt, so helping them get at least a 2-year degree or certificate would help them afford college. Federal money (translation: our money) would provide the funds to make this happen. Sounds like a good idea, right? This would help those who are struggling financially not struggle quite as much. Who could really argue with this idea?

Currently, a coalition is focusing on building the necessary momentum to make this goal a reality (Smith, 2015). Closing the skills gap by helping “Americans sharpen their skills and get credentials” would benefit the country and help it become the leader it once was in the world of education. However, according to this article, a survey of community college presidents showed that “39 percent felt their legislatures would back Obama’s free community college tuition plan with federal support. That number decreases to 13 percent without federal support.” So, if the federal government does not pitch in, where are these funds supposed to come from? Are the states, already strapped and cutting back higher education funding, expected to find the funds to make this a reality? Are the citizens of those states expected to step up and donate to the cause? Would private funds help make it a reality? Would all of the above combine to send more and more people to community colleges to obtain post-secondary training?

Let’s say that community college becomes free. Now what? Have we considered the high school graduation rate and how that will impact higher education? While it would be great to have free community college, not everyone will go that route. Some will want to go straight into a 4-year program or a different type of post-secondary institution (art and design schools, for example). Some might forgo college altogether and start working. Add this to the goal of trying to increase the number of college graduates as a whole and we have to consider the number of eligible high school graduates. Although 81% of high school seniors actually graduated in 2013, the college enrollment rate dipped to 66% (Roberts, 2015). The question is why? This article shows the graduation rates for high school and college that rank in the highest percentages and lowest percentages. The conclusion is that technology is not being harvested as well as it could be. The author focused on a speech given by Arne Duncan, who made several comments about higher education, mentioning “low completion rates and a lack of accountability.” He also spoke about utilizing technology. For this reason, the writer honed in on technology as “the best way to reach [] students, recruit new ones and consistently hit enrollment goals.” I’m not sure that is a legitimate leap. There is no one cure-all for what ails higher education. And technology can go but so far in reaching out to students. We need to make sure students have the thinking skills they need to survive in the world. Technology is only part of it; it would be one tool in a box of many tools.

Sometimes I wonder if we aren’t trying to make everyone want what “we” want, instead of accepting that some people do not want a college education and may not think that it would serve them any purpose, especially those who are fine where they are. A report published by the Center of Higher Education Reform at the American Enterprise Institute (2015) pointed out that while most of the survey respondents (1584 respondents reflective of the American population) said they thought “some education after high school was necessary today” and cited cost as a top reason for people not going to college. About 51% of the high school graduates in the sample and about 33% of those who had some college were satisfied with where they stood in terms of their education level. So, would there be an effort to help these folks see that college is worthwhile and push them toward something better than what they have now? Again, respect for a person’s choices is needed. But, showing them options is always a good idea. Then, they can make their own educated decisions.

I think it’s admirable to want to help people get an education so that they won’t be left behind in this increasingly technology-filled global marketplace. But we have to remember the individual and not just the lofty goals we want for everyone. In our race to take back the lead in terms of number of college graduates, let’s make sure we don’t head everyone down one path and forget that other paths are still necessary to have a balance. We still need mechanics to fix cars, plumbers to unclog sinks, farmers to grow our food, and countless others with skills that fill out society’s needs. Artists, writers, dreamers, and others also might not possess college degrees, but they still enrich our society with valuable contributions. Of course, technology can be harnessed in just about any field to improve efficiency, so some knowledge of technology might be necessary. So, I’m all for free community college and more affordable education as a whole, as long as we don’t get locked into a one-size fits all mentality that would put a damper on these efforts.

Sources:

Kelly, A. P. (2015, April). High costs, uncertain benefits: What do Americans without a college degree think about postsecondary education? American Enterprise Institute. https://www.aei.org/publication/high-costs-uncertain-benefits/

Roberts, J. (2015, March 31). America’s high school graduation rate and its impact on higher education. Collegis Education. http://collegiseduation.com/

Smith, A. A. (2015, May 1). Coalition emerges to help promote free community college plan. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com