The Christian Science Monitor – Stacy Teicher Khadaroo
“President Obama visited Macomb Community College in Michigan Wednesday to talk about making community colleges “free.” But in many ways, what he promoted might be best seen in what’s happening in Tennessee. The Tennessee Promise is the first statewide program in the United States to offer tuition-free community or technical college for every high school graduate who meets the criteria. Many of the students receiving the scholarships are the first in their families to head to college. The cost of the scholarships this year – $12 million to $13 million – is being paid for through the state’s lottery, instead of by taxes. Not everyone agrees it’s the best approach. Telling people they won’t have to pay tuition can be politically popular, they note, but it isn’t necessarily the best use of scarce resources, according to some education researchers. Targeting aid to the lowest-income students might be more effective than universal free-college programs, some suggest.”(more)