Obama's plan for free community college has seed in Chicago
President Barack Obama's plan to offer a free community college education to qualified students is based at least partly on a Chicago initiative, White House officials said.
The president laid out the federal plan Friday in a speech in Tennessee. Obama said his plan, including its title, "America's College Promise," is based on a two-year scholarship program called the "Tennessee Promise" in that state. The White House said it also looked at Chicago's effort to offer free community college to qualified students in putting together America's College Promise.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the Chicago Star Scholarship program in October. On Friday, Emanuel said the city took a page from Tennessee's plan in developing the Star Scholarship, and that he had talked to people in the Obama administration about what Chicago was doing.
The Chicago Star Scholarship will cover tuition, fees and books at City Colleges of Chicago "pathway programs" for Chicago Public Schools grads who have at least a 3.0 grade-point average and are academically ready for college math and English courses.
"I have shared that with people in the White House, some very big, big, big important people, and some other people," Emanuel said at a news conference Friday where expanded college credit classes in Chicago public high schools were announced.
"And I said, 'You should look at what we're doing,' and I had conversations before on this. And I think this is a testament to what people in the White House, from the economic adviser to the president to the vice president, share, which is, we can no longer have high school the defining end point of your education."
Asked what parts of Chicago's program the Obama administration borrowed, Emanuel offered no specific examples. He instead talked about how he and the president share the belief that post-high school education is a necessity, and both programs reflect that.
Under the Chicago Star Scholarship, eligible students must first apply for federal and state financial aid. The scholarship will cover costs for up to three years above any state or federal aid the student receives. The program is starting during the college system's fall 2015 semester, for qualified spring 2015 CPS grads.
Emanuel briefly touted the program Thursday during a campaign address on his education platform.
"No other city can match Chicago, and I believe we'll be leading the way for others who will follow now," he said.
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Obama's plan for free community college has seed in Chicago