Free College Tuition in West Virginia

Source: Harnisch, Thomas L., Lebioda, Kati. "The Promises and Pitfalls of State Free Community College Plans." Policy Matters . American Association of State Colleges and Universities. May 2016. Web. 23 Oct. 2017. Summary: This source provides an in depth look into the positives and negatives of free community college plans. The Authors, Thomas L. Harnisch and Kati Lebioda probe the current programs that have been instituted at the time of publication as well as a historical overview of free tuition programs in the United States. They explain in detail the various types of programs and how they function, such as first-dollar or last-dollar, in conjunction with, how the programs are funded and the qualification requirements. Providing positive data and projected results along with the negative data and projected negative outcomes they give the reader an informed guide to free tuition for community colleges. They also present a series of questions for thought along w...

Source: Patton, Carol. "Is Free Tuition Working?" Journal of College Admissions Summer 2016, Vol. 232, p30-33. A cademic Search Complete . Web. 20 October 2017. Summary: This source provides a look into the challenges face by programs that have been put in place to provide free tuition for states and community colleges. The Author, Carol Patton, focuses on the programs in Oregon and Tennessee and examines successes there. By examining the data from the number of increasing students attending college and by opening dialogue with key personnel involved in these programs such as Bob Brew the director of Oregon’s Office of Student Access and Completion, she has found that while the programs initially look successful much more needs to be done to continue and grow these programs. The data seems to support getting the students into college but further work to get those students into a major best suited for their aptitude. Funding is an ever present concern along with bet...