Worcester Business Journal

www.wbjournal.com February 2, 2015 • Worcester Business Journal 9 M oney isn't the only barrier pre- venting some from going to college. But taxpayers can build an open gate through that barrier. President Obama wants them to. He offered an idea last month that would provide two years of community college tuition-free, with states picking up a quarter of the tab and the federal gov- ernment paying the rest. Though likely to be a tough sell in Washington, the proposal has sparked thought and discussion. If the country is sitting in the classroom seats, the prob- lem on the board says: Fill the jobs of the future. There's no one solution, but area edu- cators interviewed are enthusiastic about tuition-free community college, yet curious how to make it work. "The intent," said Paul Reville of Worcester, Massachusetts' secretary of education from 2008 to 2013, "is right on the money." "The mechanics," the Harvard profes- sor added with a chuckle, "are some- thing that can be talked about. … It's a complicated matter." The administration of former gover- nor Deval Patrick, whom Reville served under, entertained a similar plan in 2007 before the Great Recession hit. "Making community college an entitle- ment is something I believe deeply in," Reville said. He and other professionals agree: Workforce development is an increas- ingly complex and critical issue. But the key first step has always been to connect people with the opportunity to learn. "It is good to have the issue of afford- ability for college students on the front burner," Worcester State University President Barry Maloney said. "President Obama's bold proposal offers one way to get more students started on that path." Maloney said WSU has expanded agreements with area community col- leges to ease the transfer process. But despite such efforts to enhance access to area four-year colleges, "the Massachusetts workforce will face a graduate gap of some 50,000 degree- qualified employees by 2025," he said. A stronger, more competitive econo- my is the bottom line to a slate of higher- education initiatives since Obama took office in 2009, the White House says. Experts say the nation's productivity relies more than ever on a workforce trained beyond high school. Practical, middle-skill careers in computers, health care, research, manufacturing and other sectors are available to competent, moti- vated people with at least an associate's degree, but employers often report too few qualified applicants. Of course, the president's proposal, America's College Promise, has to pass Congress. But in the current political climate, with both chambers in Republican control and the national budget deficit at more than $500 billion a year, most observers agree: Ain't gonna happen. Large precedent Why would taxpayers pay for two years of college? Daniel Asquino, presi- dent of Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner, frames the answer as a question: "Why did America decide to pay for K-to-12 education?" Something we take for granted was once a plan that had to be formulated and fought for, he noted. He sees Obama's proposal as an extension of an idea that worked for decades: that a high school diploma equipped a person well for the years ahead. Only, "times have changed," he said, and employers are calling for increas- ingly specialized training. Some might dismiss Obama's proposal as essen- tially a tax on the rich to give two free years of col- lege to the mass- es. But Asquino urges a longer, more inclusive view: that prepar- ing more people for a challenging and changing work- force makes the entire country better. "But the devil's in the details," he said. "We'll have to wait for the details." Just one of those, he said, is how the plan would dovetail with the existing federal Pell Grants for people with lower incomes, which about half MWCC's students receive to pay for at least part of their tuition. Meanwhile, Asquino and others said, existing educational systems need to be shored up as much as pos- sible; better results in the earlier grades, for instance, mean less time spent on remedial work later. 'Many questions' "Intrigued" is how Quinsigamond Community College President Gail Carberry describes the school's reaction to the free-tuition proposal, although "there are many questions swirling" about how the law would be implement- ed, whether states could afford their 25-percent match, and how campus facilities would be affected. QCC appears better prepared for WORCESTER • WEST YARMOUTH • FRAMINGHAM • MILFORD Accounting and Tax Services | Business Consulting Services | Business Transition / Exit Planning Financial Services and Retirement Planning It's Tough to See ings Clearly ese Days Knowledge, experience, and expertise to help you see more clearly. S&G's best practice business solutions provide greater profitability today and greater business value tomorrow. Call Ronald Masiello at 508-757-3311 to set up a no obligation meeting. Services Delivered with Fanatical Customer Focus... Guaranteed! (508) 757-3311 • www.sgllp.com Community colleges like Obama plan for free education But while political realities may stand in the way, leaders await details behind president's proposal BY CAROL McDONALD Worcester Business Journal Staff Writer MWCC President Daniel Asquino says higher education helps in getting hired. >> Continued on Page 18

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