This week, we heard the case against President Biden’s plan to create free tuition for community college students nationwide. And now, we hear from John King, former U.S. secretary of education under President Obama, who is seeking the Democratic nomination to be Maryland’s next governor. He joins Judy Woodruff to discuss why he believes community college should be free.
Judy Woodruff:
We return now to the debate over providing free tuition for community college students.
Last night, we heard the case against President Biden’s effort to create a nationwide free program. As a reminder, his plan starts with $109 billion to cover full tuition for community college. The plan also includes an $85 billion investment in Pell Grants for students in need at both two-and four-year colleges. And there’s another $62 billion for resources to help students complete their degree.
Tonight, we get a different perspective on this proposal for our series on Rethinking College.
I’m joined by John King, the former U.S. secretary of education under President Barack Obama and former New York state education commissioner. He’s now president of The Education Trust. It’s an advocacy group working to close opportunity gaps from preschool through college. He also is seeking the Democratic nomination to be Maryland’s next governor.