Obama Seeks $12B for Community Colleges

President's Plan Would Give Two-Year Schools Grants To Expand Programs, Improve Infrastructure

(AP)  President Barack Obama is proposing a multibillion-dollar investment in the nation's community colleges, a $12 billion effort to help the two-year institutions reach, teach and train more people for "the jobs of the future."

Mr. Obama was outlining his four-part program in a speech Tuesday afternoon at Macomb Community College in Warren, Mich.

Under the initiative, schools could qualify for "challenge grants" so they'll have money to give new programs a try, or expand training and counseling.

Dropout rates would be addressed by designing programs to help students who want to earn an associate's degree or transfer to a four-year institution do so.

Money would be spent to renovate outdated facilities or build new ones, and to develop online courses and make them freely available to students and others who want to use them.

The total federal cost is $12 billion over a decade. Of that, $9 billion would go toward challenge grants and addressing dropout rates. Half a billion, or $500 million, would go toward online education. The remaining $2.5 billion would be used to spark $10 billion in renovation and construction nationwide, said James Kvaal, an Obama economic policy adviser.

Some of the money could be available by the 2010 budget year that begins Oct. 1.

Mr. Obama speaks of expanded education and job training as a way to help workers compete for jobs such as those expected in the clean energy industry, when the economy turns around and begins to create jobs again instead of shedding them.

"In an economy where jobs requiring at least an associate's degree are projected to grow twice as fast as jobs requiring no college experience, it's never been more essential to continue education and training after high school," Mr. Obama said Sunday in a Washington Post op-ed piece.

"It's time to reform our community colleges so that they provide Americans of all ages a chance to learn the skills and knowledge necessary to compete for the jobs of the future," he said.

Community colleges have been feeling pinched lately. Enrollments have been increasing for several reasons, including rising college costs at public and private institutions, and because of the economy, as people who've lost jobs enroll to learn new skills.

About 6 million students attend community college. Mr. Obama wants to increase community college enrollment to 11 million by 2020, Kvaal said.

In his speech to a joint session of Congress earlier this year, the president urged every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training.

Mr. Obama's stop in Michigan will be his first visit to the state since he defeated Republican Sen. John McCain there in the presidential election.

The trip wasn't all about policy, however.

Before returning to the White House, Mr. Obama, an athlete who is more into basketball and, lately, golf, was dropping into Busch Stadium in St. Louis to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Major League Baseball's annual All-Star game.

It will be his first pitch as president. Mr. Obama skipped traditional opening day invites.

[STBY21]

I am glad Obama is spending all of my money. I was sure worried trying to figure out how I could spend it all and the amount of time that would take. Fortunately the guy was elected and now I don't have that problem. In fact, he has now spent all of the money I will earn in the rest of my lifetime as well. That will save me more than a year in wasted time trying to spend it on my own family. Thanks for your thoughtfullness.

Taxpayer

[vuenbelvue]

I'll be one of the first to say it. I never felt insecure after 911 in that I would be hurt in a future terriost attack so nothing Bush-Cheney did and nothing that Obama-Biden are doing changes any of that. The governments of Russia, China and India don't seem to be sweating the soccer mom attitude of this US government. Today it was announced that Goldman Sachs received 100 cents on the dollar for all its losses from AIG paid for by US Tax Payers in the 1st Stimulus plan, I guess. That money could have helped colleges. Unless something spectacular occurs Obama will never get a vote from me in a second term run. It looks more and more like the Federal Reserve is one of the real bosses.

[GovernmentControl]

Obama believes that the role of government is to be a national charity and printing money is free.

[ibsteve2u]

It took 30 years of malicious Republican policies - policies designed to enrich the few by taking income from the middle class and working poor - to get this economy in this mess.

Yet the righties still scream for more of the same...gotta have tax cuts, they always say.

Apparently, the rest of you Americans still have some money stashed away somewhere - and the righties can smell it.

[CPelzar]

You people are fools if you think the average guy is going to like paying more for energy via Cap and Trade, paying higher taxes, less employment because of the assault on business and as well doing all of this with inflation which reduces how far everyones money goes rich or poor.

Obama has been an unmitigated disaster so far and he continues to do it every day. Spend, spend, spend...

[CPelzar]

Stupidity on your side has no boundaries. 30 years you say. No tax cuts, no private sector incentive to risk, no economic recovery period.

[diogy]

I am worried about the people 50 plus and older that were just terminated from our company. Half of the company had 20+ yrs of experience under their belts and still can not find jobs. I don't see how going to school for 4 years is going to help them. Should they get degrees close to 60 yrs old whom will hire them?

[cdegolier]

Don't agree with more spending of money our government doesn't have, but 12 Billion for Community Colleges and 48 Billion in foreign aid. Spend more on other countries, which haven't advance much in last decade and aren't our responsibility anyway and less on education in this country. This man is a genius!!

[sjc_1]

Community Colleges do a great service to the community and the students. Governor Pat Brown of California pioneered the expansion of Community Colleges in the state of California and we all have been reaping the benefits of those efforts ever since.

[IThoughtItWasFunnyNOPE]

There are NO green energy jobs, PERIOD...San Antonio has a green energy wind turbine producing element NOW, and they can't even find any customers for it because it's too freaking expensive...and the dumb and dumber who voted to allow it in are now having to pick up the tab for NOTHING! It is already a FAILED ENTITY...NOT PRODUCING ONE NEW JOB or freaking green energy!

It can't even support 1% of the city's GRID!

[lanawonders]

Rhetoric aside . . . I think it's a great proposal . . . Education Now

[rafterman1]

Funding education - a neocon's worst nightmare.