President Biden proposes plan to make community college free for all Americans
News 12 Staff
Updated on:Apr 28, 2021, 5:28pm EDT
President Joe Biden addressed Congress for the first time on Wednesday, and proposed a plan to make community college free for all Americans.
It s all part of the president s $2 trillion spending plan focusing on boosting the country s economy.
The proposal includes $100 billion to make two years of community college free for first-time students, workers who want to learn a new skill and undocumented immigrants born in the United States.
There will also be $85 million for Pell Grants, so students don t need to rely on loans so heavily.
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On Friday, SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras traveled to Suffern to meet with Rockland Community College President Michael Baston. It’s one of the SUNY colleges that recently expanded its weekly COVID-19 pooled surveillance testing program as the 64-campus system proceeds through a fall semester marked by local coronavirus spikes and shutdowns. Governor Andrew Cuomo’s color-coded COVID zones have raised new questions about transmission for college towns and commuting students.
Just before arriving on campus, Malatras spoke with WAMC’s Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Allison Dunne about pooled testing, the abrupt leadership change at SUNY Oneonta, and plans for the Spring 2021 semester.