A day after announcing his plan on Facebook, the president addressed a crowd of college students Friday in Knoxville Tennessee, where he said he'd like to bring the cost of community college tuition down to zero.
"America's College Promise will make two years of community college free to responsible students who are willing to work for it,” he said.
By 'work for it' students must attend community college at least half-time, maintain a 2.5 GPA, and make steady progress toward completing their program.
The White House says the initiative would benefit some 9 million students across the country if every state participates.
Upon hearing the proposal, Northampton Community College President Mark Erickson says his initial response was excitement.
"I think his proposal really shines a light on the important role community colleges play in terms of providing a pathway for educational attainment that otherwise many of our students don't have," said Erickson.
However at a price tag of $60 billion over the next 10 years, the president may have his work cut out for him in convincing others in congress.
“I hope that Congress will come together to support it, because opening up the doors to higher education shouldn't be a Democratic issue or a Republican issue, this an American issue," said Obama.
Not to mention, each state that signs up for the program will have to cover 25% of the remaining tuition costs.
The White House will unveil how the plan will be paid for in the president's budget in early February.
The plan was modeled after a similar program in Tennessee which was introduced by its Republican Governor Bill Haslam.
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