Officials from the Domestic Policy Council and Office of the First Lady spoke to the Administration’s commitment to expanding access to free community college. Community colleges are the nation’s largest provider of workforce training, and the Administration has centered community colleges in federal efforts to prepare workers for the jobs of today and tomorrow. This includes both the President’s $90 billion proposal in his budget to expand free community college nationwide, which would save eligible students an estimated $4,500 or more per year, and the Classroom to Career proposal, which would provide high school students access to 12 free career-related community college credits through dual enrollment.
State participants included:
Joe Marro, Senior Policy Advisor to Maine Governor Janet Mills
Karen Spilka, Massachusetts Senate President
Michelle Richard, Acting Director of the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential
Stephanie Rodriguez, New Mexico Secretary of Higher Education
Shannon Gilkey, Rhode Island Postsecondary Commissioner