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SALT LAKE CITY — The inauguration of a new president at Salt Lake Community College on Friday was coupled with a proposal late Thursday from the White House to combine federal and state funds to cover the cost of tuition for community college students.
But unanswered questions as to how the proposal would work have left local leaders unsure of what it would mean for Utah taxpayers and students.
College leaders are hopeful that it would work in concert with the charge accepted by Deneece Huftalin in Friday's inauguration ceremony to further the college's mission of improving access and inclusivity in higher education.
"If somebody comes up with an idea that gives a larger number and a wider range of students access to higher education, we are deeply interested," said SLCC spokesman Joy Tlou. "I think we're interested in knowing what the details are."
President Barack Obama's proposal would cover an average individual tuition rate of $3,800 each year, benefiting an estimated 9 million students in 1,100 community colleges nationwide. Federal funding would cover three-quarters of the costs, and states that choose to participate would have to provide the rest.
The program would include students earning an occupational training certificate or a two-year degree in preparation for a more advanced degree elsewhere. Those who attend at least half time and maintain a 2.5 GPA would have their tuition paid.
The proposal also introduces a fund to incentivize community colleges to foster strong employer partnerships and work-based learning opportunities for students.
If somebody comes up with an idea that gives a larger number and a wider range of students access to higher education, we are deeply interested. I think we're interested in knowing what the details are.
–Joy Tlou, SLCC spokesman
The president is expected to elaborate on the proposal in his State of the Union address on Jan. 20.
Gov. Gary Herbert said the initiative to get more people into college and on their way toward a career is a "laudable goal." But he questioned the economic feasibility of the president's proposal and whether it reaches beyond proper federal boundaries.
"The question only is going to be: How do you pay for it?" Herbert said. "Two years of free college, somebody's got to pay for it somewhere. I'm a little concerned about the fiscal responsibility of the proposal. Also, I'm concerned about federal government again getting into areas that are state domain."
Dave Buhler, Utah commissioner of higher education, said the president's emphasis on community colleges is well placed because of the multiple points of access they provide for students and community members.
Regional universities, such as Weber State, Utah Valley and Dixie State universities, have dual missions that include community college principles to award associate degrees and technical certificates. But it's unknown if they would be included in the president's proposal, he said.
Another question lies in how much Utah would be required to contribute to the program as the cost of instruction in the state is currently split fairly evenly between state funds and tuition, according to Buhler.
"Anything that helps reduce the cost or increase access to college is a positive. Beyond that, there's a lot of details we don't know," Buhler said. "We'll be watching with great interest."
Huftalin did not address Obama's proposal during her remarks Friday. But it fell in line with parts of her inaugural address focused on finding innovative ways to improve enrollment, transfer rates and graduation, as well as efforts to facilitate partnership with businesses.
Currently, more than 70 percent of students who enroll at the open-access college say they plan to earn an associate degree and transfer elsewhere, but only 36 percent end up doing either within three years of enrollment. Sixty-four percent of incoming freshmen are first-generation students, who often lack experience in navigating their way through college, Huftalin said.
"I envision a future better, beyond our present best," she said. "We must dare to set higher targets for completion rates, both within semester and degree completion, resource pedagogies and practices which complement those targets. We should dare to call out achievement gaps and reset the way we respond to underrepresented students."
Huftalin spoke of hope as "the essence" of the college's mission to provide students with access to academic paths leading to prosperous destinations in life.
"They all have dreams," she said. "Our task, our mission, our calling is to help those students live into those dreams."
Herbert was among a lengthy list of educators and business and religious leaders who expressed their confidence in Huftalin as the new leader of the college.
"My father was a small person, and he used to say to me, 'Gary, dynamite comes in small packages,' and I think that describes President Huftalin to a T. She is really a dynamite individual with what I call personality plus," he said. "I think we're going to be so well served under her leadership."
