What's in the News Wednesday - Free Community College for All?

Last week, President Obama announced a proposal to make the first 2 years of community college free for anyone maintaining a 2.5 average. 

 

The law providing the funding and authority hasn't been written or been passed yet.  The debate,  however, is on!  What would be considered eligible expenses - just tuition, or would it also include books and/or living expenses?  Is this the best way to use public funding to stimulate economic growth?  Pundits and policy analysts are asking the questions and suggesting some answers. 

• The nuts and bolts of Obama's community college plan from The L.A. Times
• Kludge Not: Obama's plan for free community college is elegant and forward-thinking from Slate Magazine
• Obama's Dead End Community College Plan from Wall Street Journal
• The Genius of Obama's Two Year College Proposal from The Atlantic
• Six Reasons Why Obama's Free Community College is a Poor Investment from Forbes.

This looks like a rich topic to explore with students. 

1. Find one fact and one opinion from either side of the policy.
2. What is the most convincing evidence in favor of, or in opposition to, the policy?
3. What are the weaknesses in the arguments for, or against, the policy?
4. How can you calculate the potential gain to the economy attributable to this policy?
5. Compare this policy to other policies for funding college expenses.
6. What can you tell from the article title about the author's opinion of the policy?