Obama: Make Community College Free

President Obama unveiled a plan Thursday to make two-year community colleges free for “anyone who is willing to work for it.” Effectively, the move would mean students would earn half of a bachelor’s degree for free if they met certain stipulations, including maintaining at least a 2.5 GPA and attending school at least half of the time. According to the proposal, federal funds would cover three-quarters the cost of the average community-college tuition, but states would be expected to cover the rest. Community colleges must also offer academic programs that are transferable to four-year colleges and universities or “occupational training programs with high graduation rates and lead to in-demand degrees and certificates.”