Source: The Atlantic
Tennessee Promise, the new program that pays for first time community college students’ remaining tuition after grants and scholarships, has significantly increased enrollment in the state’s community college system this Fall semester. Despite this gain, it still fails to guarantee graduation for students from low-income backgrounds, as many of these students still juggle school with full-time work schedules to pay for rent and books, or support families.
Free community college is a growing movement- Obama proposed a nationwide program based on this premise and Oregon will implement a similar initiative next year. Still, as the movement gains momentum, education leaders must consider ways to overcome challenges to graduation that persist even with free tuition- such as lack of preparation for college courses or an inability to balance a grueling work schedule with academics.
Read full story at: The Atlantic