Dive Brief:
- Vice President Joseph Biden announced a $100 million grant program to expand workforce training programs and support free community college Monday.
- The Washington Post reports the money will support partnerships between employers, community and technical colleges, and training programs. Unemployed, underemployed and low-income students will get tuition-free access to an education and then apprenticeships or paid internships through employer partners.
- Congress so far has not embraced the Obama administration's $60 billion America's College Promise proposal, but the $100 million initiative will help students at select institutions get tuition-free, workforce skills-oriented degrees and use Pell Grants for other costs of college.
Dive Insight:
Obama announced America's College Promise in his 2015 State of the Union address, calling on Congress to accept a proposal to make tuition-free community college an option for qualifying students across the country.
A handful of states have programs, including Tennessee, Oregon, and Minnesota, and legislation has been approved in Kentucky and proposals are pending in 11 other states.
Democratic candidates in the presidential primary have embraced the idea of tuition-free or debt-free college. While no-cost tuition helps students, it still does not make higher education easy for many who still struggle to pay for rent, transportation, food, and course materials. Debt-free proposals aim to get funding for all of the costs of college, not just tuition.