State Funds for First Two Years of College?

None by KCPW

Regents Asked to Consider $41M Idea

A new white paper on Utah's community college system asks the Utah Board of Regents to consider subsidizing the first two years of a student's higher education experience. Co-author and Salt Lake Community College president Dr. Cynthia Bioteau says the idea is to get the Regents talking and asking the right questions:

"What about [this], is this something we can do, is this something that Utah could get behind, if not paying the first two years of a person's higher education experience, can we look to lowering tuition so that it is no longer a barrier here in Utah?"

Bioteau says enrollment at universities and colleges nationwide is stalling because the economy is strong and healthy, which means people go into the workforce before getting that college degree. While Utah community college students pay less than their counterparts at in-state universities, they pay 128 percent more than community college students in surrounding states, Bioteau says. Making community college more affordable in Utah will encourage students to improve their skills now, which Bioteau says will pay off if and when the economy cools:

"Right now our economy is strong but a recession is not unlikely in the years to come. We owe it to the people of Utah to have our skilled and educated workers in place to sustain that kind of rough time."

If the Board of Regents were to back Bioteau's idea to subsidize the first two years of higher education, the cost would be approximately $41 million based on current enrollment at Salt Lake Community College, Snow College and the College of Eastern Utah.

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