Name: Students weigh in on President Biden’s call for free community college
Uploaded: 2021-04-28T17:58:50-07:00
Channel: Danielle Miller
Description: During his policy address, President Biden said 12 years of education is no longer enough for Americans to compete with the rest of the world, and called for the government to offer two years of free community college to any student. FOX 10's Irene Snyder has local reaction to the proposal.

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Students weigh in on President Biden’s call for free community college

During his policy address, President Biden said 12 years of education is no longer enough for Americans to compete with the rest of the world, and called for the government to offer two years of free community college to any student. FOX 10's Irene Snyder has local reaction to the proposal.

PHOENIX - President Joe Biden addressed Congress for the first time on April 28 as President, where he officially unveiled his proposed $1.8 trillion package called the American Families Plan in a formal manner.

The package calls for $1 trillion in new spending and $800 billion in new tax credits. Some of the main proposed features include two years of free community college, as well as free preschool.

"12 years is no longer enough by today to compete with the rest of the world in the 21st century," said President Biden, during the policy address. "When you add two years of community college on top of that, you begin to change the dynamic, and we can do that."

President Biden plans to pay for his proposed package by raising tax rates for the wealthiest Americans, and doubling capital gains taxes on investors earning more than $1 million.

Some progressives have said that President Biden’s proposal doesn’t go far enough, as it fails to address universal childcare and Medicare. Republicans, meanwhile, have criticized President Biden’s push to raise corporate taxes.

"Even more taxing, even more spending to put Washington even more in the middle of your life, from cradle to college," said South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, in the GOP rebuttal to the policy address. "The beauty of the American Dream is that families get to define it for themselves. We should be expanding opportunities and options for all families, not throwing money at certain issues because Democrats think they know best."

Students and parents react

Hannah Atkins, who wants to go back to school, says President Biden's plan will certainly make a big change in her life.

"One of the factors I have not gone to college is because of the cost," said Atkins.

Joshua Bakarich, meanwhile, says he has already finished a year and a half of school at Glendale Community College, and is waiting to finish out that last half of a year. He says the plan is an awesome idea.

"Everyone having that accessibility to go right after high school to get their associates, if not more," said Bakarich. "I think that would benefit everybody."

"I think for me, my first thought as a mom is, awesome," said Valery Novak with The Academy Day School. "I think it’s fabulous. I think that everyone should have the opportunity across the board."

Dane Becker with The Academy Day School in Chandler is thrilled more parents and children may have access to pre-school. Becker says it's a fundamental part of a child's education.

"When they walk in our doors, they don't know how to act at a school, and that’s what we teach them here. We teach them academics here, but also social, emotional support for all of the phases that they go through," said Becker.

Novak says she’s in favor of giving everyone access but hopes parents will take the learning aspect of pre-k seriously.

"We're not going to take 45 families, and it's going to be everybody come because they can," said Novak. "We really want the families that come to want to be there for their kids, to be able to set them up for success, making sure they’re being challenged as much as they can, not just going somewhere for three hours because they can," said Novak.

Community college officials weigh in

As far as the free two years of community college, Maricopa Community College District Interim Chancellor Steven Gonzales expects enrollment to go way up, something he sees as a major boost.

"This will be critically important, especially at a time when we’re recovering from the pandemic and trying to stimulate the economy. This will be a great way to get people in and out as quickly as possible, and on to a sustainable career," said Gonzales.