The state of Tennessee has decided that community college in the state will be free to all residents who do not already have a degree. There are some requirements. One must have been a resident of the state for at least a year, apply for federal student aid, have a high school diploma or equivalent, and maintain a 2.0 GPA. The expansion will cost $10 million and the goal is that 55 percent of Tennessee residents will have a degree by 2025.
I must be consistent here and say that the college is NOT “free.” Somebody always pays for it. In the case of Pell Grants, the taxpayers fund that “free tuition.” In Tennessee, as in Georgia (HOPE grants) the people who purchase lottery tickets pay the tuition. As far as I can tell, about the only thing free in life is the air we breathe.
However, I do support this action and here is why:
1. It is a proven fact that college graduates, even those with associates degrees, as a general rule, make more money that those without a degree.
2. Thus, in the long run, they are able to better support themselves, stay off government aid, and they pay more taxes than they would otherwise.
3. Since this is lottery-funded, no taxpayers are gouged but the people who buy the tickets are willing participants.
4. Community college often focuses on the skilled trades, which often pay very well, and there is a crying need for skilled workers in our nation.
5. Students need not be shackled with oppressive student loans and perpetual debt.
6. Self-esteem comes not from participation trophies but from genuine accomplishment. Persons who have earned a degree have gone a long way toward shoring up their worth in their own eyes.
7. College degrees open doors that would not otherwise be open to those without degrees.
8. College expands one’s world view.
In the end, the state of Tennessee, the citizens of that state, and the participants themselves, will all benefit. It is a win-win-win situation. It is, in short, an investment in society’s most valuable resource — its citizens.
So, kudos to my home state of Tennessee. Now, where were you when I needed you?
[David Epps is the pastor of the Cathedral of Christ the King, Sharpsburg, GA (www.ctkcec.org). He is the bishop of the Mid-South Diocese which consists of Georgia and Tennessee (www.midsouthdiocese.org) and the Associate Endorser for the Department of the Armed Forces, U. S. Military Chaplains, ICCEC. He may contacted at frepps@ctkcec.org.]
