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CHICAGO (AP) — An economic engine. A jumpstart for lower-income students. A partnership with businesses to groom a workforce. The idea of free community college has been touted as all these, by President Barack Obama, Democratic presidential candidates, and some Republicans.
The idea is to curb student debt and boost employment by removing cost barriers. Educators are split on its merits, with some worrying the push could divert students away from four-year schools. And some proposals could cost taxpayers tens of billions of dollars, and may still leave students with debt.
But thousands of high school graduates have just started community college for free, with the first batch enrolled in independent first-year programs in Tennessee, Chicago and soon Oregon doing so under different price tags and philosophies – offering templates of how a federal program might look and potential glitches.
“My family wasn’t going to be able to support me financially,” said 19-year-old aspiring doctor Michelle Rodriguez, who’s taking classes for free in Chicago after concluding that even with in-state tuition and a scholarship a state university would be tough. “I’m the oldest. I’m the first generation to go to college.”
Tennessee is at the forefront, with over 15,000 students enrolled in what’s characterized as a jobs program. Chicago has just under 1,000 recent graduates in its City Colleges plan, with a push toward getting students into four-year schools at a discount. Oregon is accepting applications for next fall, with as many as 10,000 applicants expected.
