RALEIGH — A day after President Obama unexpectedly unveiled a plan offering more than $34 billion in subsidies for community college tuition to millions of Americans, U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-5th District, chastened the president for his “bad habit” of creating programs without funding mechanisms.
“As a former community college president, I am a huge fan of community colleges and the great educational opportunities they provide to students from all walks of life,” said Foxx, who’s beginning her sixth term in the House. She chairs the House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education.
“However, I’m reminded of the old ‘Peanuts’ cartoon where Linus says to Lucy, ‘Every time there’s a good suggestion, someone brings up the budget,’ “ said Foxx, former president of Mayland Community College in Spruce Pine, serving Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey counties.
“President Obama has a bad habit of creating programs without identifying a way to pay for them, and the price tag for this initiative, which is bound to be incredibly expensive, has yet to even be revealed,” she said.
“Increasing the number of students who have access to higher education must be a priority, but this is the wrong approach for the federal government to take,” Foxx said.
The Obama proposal, called America’s College Promise, would provide two years of tuition-free community college. The concept was released on Thursday via Facebook video message while the president was aboard Air Force One.
“This proposal will require everyone to do their part: community colleges must strengthen their programs and increase the number of students who graduate, states must invest more in higher education and training, and students must take responsibility for their education, earn good grades, and stay on track to graduate,” a White House fact sheet said.
“The program would be undertaken in partnership with states and is inspired by new programs in Tennessee and Chicago,” the statement said.
According to the White House, the proposal could affect up to 9 million students if all states participated. Average savings would be $3,800 per student, making the potential cost of the program as much as $34.2 billion per year.
Under the plan, to be announced formally later this month during Obama’s State of the Union speech, the federal government would pay 75 percent of the costs, and participating states would be responsible for the balance. America’s College Promise would be included in the president’s 2016 federal budget request.
The proposal requires congressional legislation to be implemented.
Dan E. Way (@danway_carolina) is an associate editor of Carolina Journal.