And it drew praise in certain sectors of higher education because of its emphasis on boosting student access and success.
“The president’s proposal certainly fits into that category,” said Dr. Walter G. Bumphus, president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges. “This is an exciting day for the nation’s community colleges.”
But among policymakers, analysts and college access advocates, the plan—known formally as America’s College Promise—drew skepticism about its workability and practicality. It also drew questions about the extent to which the plan would truly benefit the students who need it the most and why the president doesn’t focus more on finding ways to fund the Pell Grant program that helps low-income students pay for college.
One of the biggest obstacles to the America’s College Promise plan is for it to actually win approval in the Republican-controlled Congress.
“You want to tell students there’s an affordable option open to them, and two years in college (for free) sounds great,” said Rachel Fishman, an education policy analyst at the New America Foundation, a nonpartisan public policy institute based in Washington, D.C.
“But the odds of it getting through this Congress are very slim,” Fishman said.
