Tennessee governor proposes to make community college tuition free of charge

[Doondoo]

Community college would be free for thousands of Tennessee students under a plan in Gov. Phil Bredesen's proposed budget.

"The governor sees it as both a way for more people to have access to college and as a stimulus to economic development in communities," Bredesen's policy chief, Drew Kim, said.

It would cover students who graduate from high school and score 19 on the math, reading and composite ACT — just under the state average composite score of 20.7.

If the legislature goes along with Bredesen, the program would start in fall 2008 and cost the state $10 million to $12 million per year, to be funded by state lottery proceeds. Tennessee has 13 community colleges, including Nashville State in Nashville and Volunteer State in Gallatin.

State officials believe the waived tuition program is the first of its kind in the nation. The average tuition at the state's community colleges is $1,227.50 per semester for a full-time student.


http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070301/NEWS01/703010396

[SharonAnn]

1. Junior college in California used to be free. I think that was before Reagan became governor.

[Clark2008]

2. I love Phil Bredesen.

:loveya:

I hate what he had to do to TennCare, but it couldn't be helped. He had no general assembly support to do anything BUT gut it, sadly. And it's effected my family. My Mom can't get health insurance.

[NDP]

3. If it's called a "community" college or a "public" university, then logically, the American family

should be making that investment in education. Don't use the word "free." Nothing is "free." It's an investment.

This is a good first step. You don't have to get in debt to get a college education in most industrialized countries, like you do in ours. You have to take it one step at a time for people in this country. We would have to start with state sponsored community college education, before many people would even be able to see four-year universities as a possibility.