Now That Community And Technical Colleges Are Free, What's Stopping Tennesseans From Enrolling?

[TexasTowelie]

Helping Tennesseans go to college takes more than giving them free tuition: That's one of the takeaways from a report released Monday by Complete Tennessee, a nonprofit that tracks higher education in the state.

The organization traveled to nine different regions to talk to groups involved with higher education. Its final report dissects barriers around Tennessee that seem to be stopping people from enrolling in higher education, even after the state has started waiving tuition for most students at community and technical colleges.

"One would think {that} with tuition barriers being significantly reduced at least for our community colleges and technical colleges, access would not be an issue," says Kenyatta Lovett, executive director of Complete Tennessee.

But in every region around the state, he says, "we found that citizens believe that there were some difficulties for students to go to college and complete."

Read more: http://nashvillepublicradio.org/post/now-community-and-technical-colleges-are-free-whats-stopping-tennesseans-enrolling

[Nay]

1. I can think of quite a few reasons, actually.

No (or unreliable) transportation

A student still has to keep a roof over her head, so she works -- if the classes are in the daytime and she works all day,
well. . . .

Many people shoulder the entire burden of chores at home and also work full time, so there's no time for studying or classes

And finally, a thing I heard all over the South as I was growing up, from fathers of boys: "I went in the military, and if it was good enough for me, it's good enough for him!!@^%$#&*!!"

[GaYellowDawg]

3. I teach at a TN community college

I teach most of my classes in the late afternoon and evenings, including in the summer.

You are right about many students having full-time jobs. Many also have to find child care. I think the main financial burden, though, is textbooks. They are hideously expensive. For my 2-class sequence, the book package runs $400. That's almost half a month's paycheck for many of my students. And I can't do a thing about it.

I donate a portion of my paycheck every month to a fund our college has for temporary emergencies like transportation. So do many of my colleagues.

[get the red out]

2. This quote made me mad

I was disappointed to read this:

"Lovett says that some training programs in northeast Tennessee have tried to encourage employers to only hire students after they earn their degree or certificate"

That's just simply wrong! Maybe this program is more about improving stats than people?

I do think public higher ed should be free, so I'm impressed that TN has stepped up to the plate on this. Just sometimes the way good things are implemented has a lot to do with their success.