Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to ask lawmakers to make community college free for all high school graduates

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer plans to urge state lawmakers to pass legislation that would provide free community college tuition for all high school graduates during her sixth State of the State speech on Wednesday.

Whitmer also prioritized community college access in her annual address last year. State lawmakers responded by temporarily lowering the minimum age for free tuition from 25 to 21 years old. The Democratic governor now wants to expand the program by removing all age requirements for free community college, according to details of her plan provided to The Associated Press by Whitmer’s office.

Whitmer’s administration created the Michigan Reconnect program in 2021, aiming to increase the percentage of the state’s workforce with a postsecondary degree or training from 50.5% to 60% by 2030. It made Michigan residents 25 years and older eligible for free community college tuition.

aTun,

School course books are more expensive then community college fee.

Aghast,

As a resident in Michigan, this is good news but definitely not something we need to focus on at this point in time.

The state government needs to focus on the basics and by that I mean clean water. Flint still has a water crisis and many cities like Brenton Harbor as well as northern Michigan towns face the same issues.

It is possible they can fix the water infrastructure and provide free community college since they do have a large budget surplus.

michigancapitolconfidential.com/…/michigans-2024-…

dangblingus,

Because for some reason, in North America we determined that the best way to ensure that your population is educated and ready to be a powerhouse of innovation and productivity is to make the education required to achieve that as expensive and as out of reach as possible.

Maggoty,

Oooo, I like this. Free Associates Degree and if you want to go on to get a Bachelor’s it now costs 50% less!

Stick it straight to the for-profit college system.

FlyingSquid,
@FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

Free college and legal weed? Why do you have to be so cold, Michigan?

See also: Canada.

ohlaph,

Eh?

Numberone,

CHEAP legal weed😁

AeonFelis,

There is this theory that cultures that were developing in colder places had less reason to be wary of strangers, due to diseases being less transmittable in the cold, and because of that they turned out more progressive.

altec,

It won’t be cold for much longer with the way climate change is heading. I moved to Detroit a few years ago, and all my neighbors have commented on how little snow we’re getting and how warm winters have been.

FlyingSquid,
@FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

You’re way further north than me (I’m in West-Central Indiana) and on the lake. It was -14 here last week. I can’t believe it was especially balmy there.

altec,

Eh, the heat waves and cold snaps are happening nationwide. I more mean that on average, it’s been pretty warm. Most of November and December was between 40F and 50F.

But for sure, the lake (and concrete from the city) helps keep temperatures moderate. We’re also lucky being on the west side of the lake, so we don’t have to deal with lake effect snow.

cosmicrookie,
@cosmicrookie@lemmy.world avatar

TIL community colleges are not free…

PM_Your_Nudes_Please,

Definitely cheaper than public/private colleges, but not free. I think my classes came out to ~$1k per semester when I was going to my local community college. It’s still a significant sum for many, but it meant I didn’t need to take out student loans and could pay it off via part time work.

cosmicrookie,
@cosmicrookie@lemmy.world avatar

It’s a wild comparison. I live in Denmark where you get paid $948 each month for attending college (or any education).

So I assumed that at least it would be free in the US.

Maggoty,

Oh we decided that even the state schools should cost more than most people can afford. I don’t know why.

Fedizen,

US corporations like workers to have debt etc. This gives them more power over employees.

ohlaph,

Education and medical is outrageously expensive in America. I have had college text books cost $300. For one book.

Pulptastic,

Every tax dollar spent on education brings in more than $1 net present value of future income tax.

neptune,

Yes but what if Lenin comes back from the dead and makes my kids gay?

NOT_RICK,
@NOT_RICK@lemmy.world avatar

Fellas, is it gay to seize the means of production?

Wogi,

We can only hope

RGB3x3,

Then it’s $1 net present value of future income tax + Undead Lenin and more gay kids.

I don’t see the issue here.

On a different note, Undead Lenin is a kickass band name.

Pulptastic,

Undead Lenin the Gaymaker

LowtierComputer,

The fates can be cruel.

papertowels,

IIRC New Mexico residents actually get free tuition at all state public universities (including 4 years)

people_are_cute,
@people_are_cute@lemmy.sdf.org avatar

Good idea, hope this does not deteriorate the quality of education. Corruption gets very rampant in public education when there isn’t constant and vigilant oversight.

Pulptastic,

Does it?

pinkdrunkenelephants,

Why would poor high school grads going to college for free corrupt it?

Jyek,

The same reason poor highschool kids are often part of the school to prison pipeline. Corruption in poor students’ education leads to intentionally poor education which leads them to struggle as adults to meet the requirements of jobs that a student who got a scholarship to a “good” school will. I think this is a good idea but it’s not enough to make community college free. Higher education in general needs to come down drastically in price and the difference in cost between schools needs to come down as well. There is already judgment in adulthood about which school you went to. Now imagine what that judgement will be like when they find out you went to the free kind of community college.

pinkdrunkenelephants,

So your argument is that poor kids shouldn’t get free college upon graduation because they are inherently stupid and thus needed standards lowered to get them to graduate high school in the first place, and this will carry on into the future. Because they are inherently dumber and less capable simply by virtue of being poor.

You are clearly one of those dumb people.

Jyek,

I literally said it’s a good idea and that it needs to go further.

mrnotoriousman,

If a policy proposal on Lemmy doesn't live up to a user's personal purity test, it's a terrible policy

pinkdrunkenelephants, (edited )

It is when that purity test checks for blatant racism and classism, and their position is extremely blatant and inflammatory classism. Likely racism too

StopSpazzing,
@StopSpazzing@lemmy.world avatar

Already in effect in California. :)

Toastypickle,

Surprisingly, in Tennessee now, too. Just wish it had been a thing 20 years ago

StopSpazzing,
@StopSpazzing@lemmy.world avatar

Yeah I agree. Better than never!

Crack0n7uesday,

Missouri has had the A+ program since before I graduated in 2003, if you graduate high school with a 2.5 GPA (that was barely passing back then, idk what it is now) you got free community college.

BigMacHole,

SOCIALIST! REAL Patriots use Tax Dollars to give Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos more money, NOT Educate Kids!

pugsly,

It’s a step in the right direction but won’t help if employers are only hiring senior roles or upping the requirements for entry level positions as they did in the past.

Twentytwodividedby7,

That’s an oddly specific whataboutism. Your premise is bullshit. More education, especially in trades which CC specialize in, is a huge benefit that improves employment outcomes. A better educated workforce also attracts employers. The classic econometrics formula (actually documented in textbooks written by Dr. Jeffrey Woolrich at MSU) is literally: Salary = Education + Ability. Education has a clear positive impact, ability is much harder to measure

In fact it could upskill nearly half the state: statista.com/…/educational-attainment-michigan/#:….

hakase,

I’m usually against free college, but this is actually a really great idea. It makes education available to everyone, without the additional risk of government mismanagement hamstringing our world-class universities in the process.

Nudding,

Why are you usually against free college?

hakase,

Because I see the state of public school funding in the US, and I think it’s utterly, ludicrously naive to think that our universities will somehow magically avoid the same fate. We live in a world where there’s a very real possibility that Trump is elected again, and the people advocating for free college don’t seem to be able to put two and two together to realize that this would put Trump’s government in complete control of the funding of the universities that he condemns as “liberal brainwashing”.

The push for all universities to be free in the US is nothing but utopian wishful thinking that ignores the actual state of US politics, and will have disastrous real-world consequences for the already shaky state of education in the US.

Making community college free seems like a pretty ideal compromise though - everyone gets access to college, and the ability of our universities to take advantage of funding through tuition to ensure that their quality remains among the best in the world is unimpeded.

Nudding,

Personally, it doesn’t really matter if it’s Biden or Trump. The US will continue breaking fossil fuel records regardless of who sits in the oval office. We have already triggered climate tipping points that will cascade for centuries, even if we stopped global co2 production tomorrow. I predict collapse before or around 2030.

metallic_substance,

So close. Try again.

hakase,

Nah, I nailed it the first time.

xor,

why limit it to only high school graduates?

HappycamperNZ,

I would assume those who could actually reasonably pass.

Saying that, over here you automatically get uni entrance when you hit 20 so those who grew after high-school aren’t disadvantaged. Have somethings similar would be good.

xor,

being a high school graduate says zero about intelligence, and just shows you can blindly follow rules

partial_accumen,

If you think college doesn’t also require you to follow blind rules, I’ve got bad news for you. A good chunk of life is the requirement to follow stupid rules. In that way school is a pretty good preparation for life after school.

xor,

if you think college is like high school, then you didn’t go to college…
you see no difference between picking your own classes and being programmed to work in a factory?

partial_accumen,

if you think college is like high school, then you didn’t go to college…

Thats a strawman. I never said college is like high school, I said going to college does not mean you avoid having to follow rules, even silly or stupid ones.

you see no difference between picking your own classes and being programmed to work in a factory?

You may not be aware, but in college while you do get to pick a portion of your own classes, for your chosen program of study there are certain required classes that are required or even prerequisite classes you have to take to take the class you want to pick. This is a good example of rules you have to follow.

xor,

woe, what a bunch of pointless words

meyotch,

And? Dealing with arbitrary rules and systems is a major life skill.

xor,

deleted_by_author

    •
    kent_eh, (edited )

    They didn’t say “comply with”, they said “deal with”.

    Very different things.

    USSEthernet,

    How do you sleep? Alone? Back of a van? On concrete? Or some combination of those?

    xor,

    you are a terrible, horrible, malignant, person…
    i hope you sleep like a corpse

    USSEthernet,

    I’m just asking because, based on your comments, that’s the energy you emanate. Like you did terrible at school, didn’t try and somehow think you’re owed. Then you’re in here with your narcissistic comments, saying, “I was the smartest person in my computer science classes.”

    xor,

    you’re an absolute garbage person.

    p.s. being intelligent doesn’t make you a narcissist

    OldWoodFrame,

    It says you’re smart enough and driven enough to do literally the bare minimum for your own education, and sure, you follow the rules enough to pass.

    But spoilers, that’s what the community colleges want too. Smart enough, driven enough, following instructions enough to pass.

    And spoilers again, that’s what employers want too.

    xor,

    spoilers people are very different at 18 from 15 and spoilers they shouldn’t be denied opportunities because they failed to conform to a shitty high school system that spoilers is completely, 100% different than college or spoilers you write like a total twat

    GooseFinger,

    The tiny subset of people who dropped from high school, never got their GED, and want to take community college seriously could just… get their GED first? Compared to the time and cost of completing a 2 year degree, obtaining a GED is very small barrier to entry.

    You’re not articulating very well what your issue is.

    mrnotoriousman,

    Would you be surprised to hear this guy is a high school dropout who wildly overestimates their own intelligence?

    xor,

    you know i’ve “wildly underestimated” my own intelligence, yet you know not a single thing about me?
    my deductive reasoning tells me that you’re a shitty person and a troll :*

    USSEthernet,

    The narcissism with this one is strong. Gives off forever alone vibes because no one likes a narcissist. This one is worth a hard block.

    xor,

    why does it hurt your feelings so much if someone acknowledges their own intelligence?
    they put our grades on the board, i was consistently in the lead, plus gpa, etc… it’s not narcissism to be aware of your own talents.
    but to start stalking my comments and insulting me repeatedly, trying to dig at my personal life… these are the hallmarks of a deeply insecure and toxic person.
    ill be in touch soon…

    xor,

    deleted_by_author

    •
    GooseFinger,

    GEDs are high school equivalency credentials. GED test scores are treated the same as high school credits by practically all institutions.

    I’m not sure why this bill would exclude GED holders since there’s no practical reason to, so I’d assume they are included until we know for sure.

    xor,

    i would assume not, because it’s michigan

    jubejube,

    My guess is it has to do with effective use of resources. The tuition is free to the student but not the taxpayer. Teachers and administrators don’t work for free. If you can’t get through state funded education up to high school then the chances probably aren’t great for college. Those seeking a second chance could always complete a ged and get the benefit, hopefully.

    xor,

    If you can’t get through state funded education up to high school then the chances probably aren’t great for college

    not true at all, the types of people that don’t do well in high school are usually the smartest ones

    jubejube,

    I can see where you are coming from and do not disagree. However these decisions have to be made in aggregate and proportionally, the “geniuses” that failed or dropped out of highchool, are most likely a small minority compared to the overall population.

    xor,

    deleted_by_author

    •
    Nudding,

    deleted_by_moderator

    •
    xor,

    i’m sorry you’re so stupid you have to try to attack my intelligence…
    but i assure you, it doesn’t hurt, coming from you.

    Nudding,

    👍

    pinkdrunkenelephants,

    Oh, don’t you wish.

    xor,

    deleted_by_author

    •
    pinkdrunkenelephants,

    😆 Oh, don’t you wish.

    partial_accumen,

    not true at all, the types of people that don’t do well in high school are usually the smartest ones

    There’s a difference in “not doing well” and “not graduating”. Also there are lots of different ways you could define the “smartest ones”, but ability to earn an income is a at least one indicator of success. Using that metric the data doesn’t support your assertion:

    https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/3913445b-ad32-49f2-baf2-068c28745319.png

    source

    xor,

    deleted_by_author

    •
    partial_accumen,

    you do realize your graph just supports my point, right? a high school dropout will earn a lot more money if they just get an associates degree.

    You think a community college will accept you in their programs without the high school level education?

    otherwise, im not a capitalist and think “ability to earn money” is the worst possible metric for judging someone…

    Feel free to present your own data to back up your point. So far you’ve provided none.

    USSEthernet,

    Yea, I am very interested in how you get into a college without a diploma, GED, or some other equivalent.

    xor,

    deleted_by_author

    •
    partial_accumen,

    yes, they already did. to your second point: fuck no

    I’m beginning to get a picture of the problems you may have had to arrive where you are.

    I hope your day get better.

    xor,

    deleted_by_author

    •
    partial_accumen,

    your data is “people with more degrees earn more money”

    No, I said one possible measure, and asked you to provide a measure you prefer. You provided no measure of your own.

    and your conclusion is “people with more money are better people”

    And I said nothing of the sort. Again, you’re building a strawman.

    i’ll bring sources and have reasonable discourse with reasonable people…

    Yeah, I’m doubting that.

    and you are not one of them.

    I’m not sure are the best person to judge that. Most of the things you say that make paint me as unreasonable are things you said, not my own words. You’re clearly having difficulty with this conversation, and my day is not made better by yours getting worse. Whatever it is in life that is denying you peace, I hope you overcome it.

    I see nothing productive for either of us continuing this. I won’t be replying to you anymore.

    pinkdrunkenelephants,

    Stop lying and go touch grass

    xor,

    deleted_by_author

    •
    pinkdrunkenelephants,

    You are the best kind of lolcow.

    boatsnhos931,

    You didn’t graduate did you? 😁

    USSEthernet,

    No, they didn’t (said in another comment), but they somehow went to college without a diploma or equivalent (not sure how). They are also a self described genius and smartest person ever.

    Twentytwodividedby7,

    There is no empirical data to support that at all. If you have some we’d love to see it.

    While it is not unheard of for someone to do poorly in school and still be smart, education is a clear predictive variable for future success. Period.

    Also too, studies have shown that a direct outcome of improving starting wages and reducing unemployment is a reduction in violent crime. Also better median income in the state also results in better taxes for the state.

    This is by no means a giveaway. This is an investment in the state that pays many dividends. By the way Tennessee did this several years ago. It’s a net benefit for society.

    Twentytwodividedby7,

    You generally have to graduate high school or complete the GED to be eligible for enrollment in higher education. This has nothing to do with ability, it’s just the minimum for entry

    xor,

    deleted_by_author

    •
    mark,
    @mark@infosec.pub avatar

    Would you like to elaborate, or provide any information of value instead of just saying “nope”?

    xor,

    nah

    Twentytwodividedby7,

    www.oaklandcc.edu/admissions/open-door/#:~:text=T….

    “Admission is open to all high school graduates, GED recipients, college transfer students and persons 18 years of age or older.”

    Note it says “and persons 18 years or older” and not “or.” This means you have to be both 18 or older and a high school graduate or a GED recipient and 18 years or older.

    My initial point stands and you’re still lazy and incorrect.

    USSEthernet,

    If you’ve seen their other comments, reading is not their strong suit even though they claim to be smarter than everyone and dropped out of high school.

    xor,

    i see that you’re not only stupid, but a weak ass troll…

    xor,

    deleted_by_author

    •
    Twentytwodividedby7,

    Provide relevant evidence to the contrary. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

    FartsWithAnAccent,
    @FartsWithAnAccent@lemmy.world avatar

    Calm down Michigan, save some good ideas for the rest of us!

    hddsx,

    It’s balanced by our lovely bunch of insurrectionists

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