Tennessee is about to become the first state in the nation to make community college free for all adults.
Lawmakers approved legislation Wednesday that will expand the Tennessee Promise program that launched in 2014. It made tuition and fees free for recent high school graduates enrolled in a community college or technical school. Now, adults who don't already have an associate's or bachelor's degree can go for free, too, starting in the 2018 fall semester.
Governor Bill Haslam is expected to sign the bill into law. He proposed the legislation in his State of the State address earlier this year. It's a cornerstone of his initiative to increase the number of residents with a college education to 55% by 2025. Last year, less than 39% of residents had gone to college.
"If we want to have jobs ready for Tennesseans, we have to make sure that Tennesseans are ready for jobs, and there is no smarter investment than increasing access to high-quality education," Haslam said in a statement.
To be eligible, students must have been a state resident for at least a year before applying, maintain a 2.0 GPA, enroll in enough classes to be a part-time student, and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
Tennessee has no state income tax aside from investment income.....yet. They already have a 7% sales tax which I expect will go up. Somebody has to open their collective wallets to pay for "free" anything.
Politicians have to stop calling things like this 'free'. It isn't. It's an investment and should be treated as such. Education is the silver bullet. Schools should be temples with the highest paid teachers, etc...
Tennessee has no state income tax aside from investment income.....yet. They already have a 7% sales tax which I expect will go up. Somebody has to open their collective wallets to pay for "free" anything.
See Ibanez's post below yours. Will Tennessee businesses that benefit from "free training" of future employees open up their collective wallets and pay the state back or will they be fine with the arrangement?
But I'm wondering how long it will be before we start hearing complaints that it's discouraging minorities away from four-year colleges so that they can make good livings as plumbers, welders, X-ray technicians, and in other jobs that liberal elites look down on.
You know it's going to happen, too. Don't even act like it won't.
Tennessee has no state income tax aside from investment income.....yet. They already have a 7% sales tax which I expect will go up. Somebody has to open their collective wallets to pay for "free" anything.
See Ibanez's post below yours. Will Tennessee businesses that benefit from "free training" of future employees open up their collective wallets and pay the state back or will they be fine with the arrangement?
You're opening up the whole private enterprise and shareholder wealth maximization argument.
This helps TN in recruiting new businesses to locate in the state as they'll have an educated local workforce. They'll pay back what is mandated in local taxes/fees, but aside from that they'll likely pay as little as possible for as much work as they can get from the employees. An educated workforce is just another bargaining chip for Nashville to use along with tax incentives in recruiting new companies IMO.
kalm wrote:
See Ibanez's post below yours. Will Tennessee businesses that benefit from "free training" of future employees open up their collective wallets and pay the state back or will they be fine with the arrangement?
You're opening up the whole private enterprise and shareholder wealth maximization argument.
This helps TN in recruiting new businesses to locate in the state as they'll have an educated local workforce. They'll pay back what is mandated in local taxes/fees, but aside from that they'll likely pay as little as possible for as much work as they can get from the employees. An educated workforce is just another bargaining chip for Nashville to use along with tax incentives in recruiting new companies IMO.
Agreed.
My only point being that everyone wants and will take a free lunch including businesses so the free lunch meme that many conservatives use is kind of stupid.
But I'm wondering how long it will be before we start hearing complaints that it's discouraging minorities away from four-year colleges so that they can make good livings as plumbers, welders, X-ray technicians, and in other jobs that liberal elites look down on.
You know it's going to happen, too. Don't even act like it won't.
The horror! How will we, as a society, survive with more technical/skilled labor and fewer Women's Studies majors.
Tennessee has no state income tax aside from investment income.....yet. They already have a 7% sales tax which I expect will go up. Somebody has to open their collective wallets to pay for "free" anything.
FWIW:
"The Tennessee state sales tax rate is 7%, and the average TN sales tax after local surtaxes is 9.45%.
JMU Football:
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Sun Belt East Champions: 2022, 2023, 2025
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Top 25 ranked: 2022, 2023, 2025
CFP: 2025
Locals attend community college, so it makes sense to "invest" tax dollars there to offset tuition (since one way or an other the locals are paying for it). The universities should be the cash cows charging high tuition to out-of-staters and foreigners.
How's that? In my best Judge Smails... the world needs ditch diggers too. We already have too many college grads who are having to take jobs for which they really didn't need a degree. Giving more people degrees... not sure what that exactly solves.
How's that? In my best Judge Smails... the world needs ditch diggers too. We already have too many college grads who are having to take jobs for which they really didn't need a degree. Giving more people degrees... not sure what that exactly solves.
Maybe two year, CC degrees are cheaper, more practical, and internship-like creating a qualified workforce for the trades and tech type positions?
Don't worry, there will still be plenty of Porterhouses to buff your spikes...
How's that? In my best Judge Smails... the world needs ditch diggers too. We already have too many college grads who are having to take jobs for which they really didn't need a degree. Giving more people degrees... not sure what that exactly solves.
I said education. I didn't say a bachelors degree. Education. That includes High School.
We certainly need ditch diggers, mechanics, plumbers, etc...
89Hen wrote:
How's that? In my best Judge Smails... the world needs ditch diggers too. We already have too many college grads who are having to take jobs for which they really didn't need a degree. Giving more people degrees... not sure what that exactly solves.
I said education. I didn't say a bachelors degree. Education. That includes High School.
We certainly need ditch diggers, mechanics, plumbers, etc...
I was going on the thread... college. We do need kids to finish HS and I have no problem with somebody who wants more education and works to get it. What I don't want is free rides for people who are just trying to avoid having to get a job. I've mentioned many times here, I'm sick and tired of seeing people with $200k+ student loan debts working for $40k a year at a non-profit so they can keep their loan payments down. That's just
Too many people feel they are entitled to go to any college they want regardless of cost.
89Hen wrote:
How's that? In my best Judge Smails... the world needs ditch diggers too. We already have too many college grads who are having to take jobs for which they really didn't need a degree. Giving more people degrees... not sure what that exactly solves.
Maybe two year, CC degrees are cheaper, more practical, and internship-like creating a qualified workforce for the trades and tech type positions?
Don't worry, there will still be plenty of Porterhouses to buff your spikes...
All I know is that my damn yard waste bag has been sitting by the curb all friggin week. Third week in a row they skipped my street.
kalm wrote:
Maybe two year, CC degrees are cheaper, more practical, and internship-like creating a qualified workforce for the trades and tech type positions?
Don't worry, there will still be plenty of Porterhouses to buff your spikes...
All I know is that my damn yard waste bag has been sitting by the curb all friggin week. Third week in a row they skipped my street.
That's what you get for living in a place that makes you use yard waste bags.
If fascism ever comes to America, it will come in the name of liberalism. Ronald Reagan, 1975.
But I'm wondering how long it will be before we start hearing complaints that it's discouraging minorities away from four-year colleges so that they can make good livings as plumbers, welders, X-ray technicians, and in other jobs that liberal elites look down on.
You know it's going to happen, too. Don't even act like it won't.
The horror! How will we, as a society, survive with more technical/skilled labor and fewer Women's Studies majors.
"ITS NOT FAIR!!! I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL TO GET A BETTER PAYING JOB!!!"
But I'm wondering how long it will be before we start hearing complaints that it's discouraging minorities away from four-year colleges so that they can make good livings as plumbers, welders, X-ray technicians, and in other jobs that liberal elites look down on.
It's not like you can't go to 4 year college after community college.
It's a good strategy nowadays to do both. If I had kids I'd probably encourage that. Particularly if it's tuition free.
"The unmasking thing was all created by Devin Nunes"
- Richard Burr, (R-NC)
