Obama’s Free College Plan Is No Panacea; Just Ask California
Op-Ed by Associate Professor Michal Kurlander and Jacob Jackson (PhD ’12)
Washington Post – January 28, 2014
President Obama’s proposal to make community colleges free is a valiant effort to address the rising demand for skilled workers throughout the nation and to improve college access for low-income students. As states consider his proposal, they would be wise to look to California. Our research in the state suggests that low tuition can put higher education within reach for many low-income students, but it is no panacea. Read more.
Michal Kurlaender is an associate professor of education and Chancellor’s Fellow at UC Davis. Jacob Jackson is a researcher at the Public Policy Institute of California.
