Additionally, the plan calls for students to maintain a 2.5 GPA while there, which pressures professors to inflate grades more than they already are. That is, a 2.0 GPA is average, so why not pay for students who earn all C’s? It further calls for students to “make steady progress toward completing their program,” while only maintaining half-time status. That is, encouraging students to take four years to complete a two-year degree is okay, but when community colleges are judged, they are judged on a six-year Bachelor of Science degree (BS) graduation schedule for students earning an Associate of Arts degree (AA). So, we expect students to complete 60-credit hours in 4 years, and then another 60-credit hours in the remaining 2 years when they transfer to university, which defies logic.
Instead, what we should offer affordable loans to all students and to expand and improve the reimbursement policies available for those who choose fields for the betterment of society. Additionally, provide an incentive along the way. For example, if you earn a C or higher in the course, then you will be reimbursed for 80% of the cost of tuition. That is, require the students to “have skin in the game.” Finally, we need to fund the counseling services better and provide them with the data they need to knowledgeably inform students of their best choices. That is, like the military, have the students complete a battery of tests to help them understand what they may like to do, and what they may be capable of doing…