Community and tribal colleges would receive $5 billion for construction projects under President Obama’s new jobs plan, which also could shore up state education budgets and provide post-secondary job training opportunities for the unemployed.
Unveiling a $447 billion American Jobs Act before Congress last Thursday, the president called for action “to put more people back to work and more money in the pockets of those who are working.” In addition to education funds, the plan contains a bevy of tax breaks to hire veterans and the unemployed and new funds to help at-risk teens and young adults find work.
For higher education, the main source of funding is the community college construction initiative proposed at $5 billion. In briefing reporters on details of the plan Friday, administration officials said funding would flow from the federal government to states based on their community college enrollments. States then could allot funds based on campus and system needs.
“We’re heartened to see the money for facilities,” said Jim Hermes, government relations director at the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). “The recognition has been there for a long time, and there is still a major need,” he told Diverse.
Obama’s plan comes on the heels of two earlier college construction proposals that failed to gain congressional approval. The White House initially sought to fund college construction in the 2009 economic stimulus bill and then under its American Graduation Initiative. Congress rejected the plan both times.
Hermes said the new plan may face an uphill climb on Capitol Hill and noted that the two-year sector will vigorously fight for enactment. “We all know the political climate isn’t favorable to new spending,” he said. “But we’re going to have to make the case.”
Since the president has proposed similar initiatives in the past, most states have compiled a list of the most pressing construction needs at two-year colleges, many of which have seen large enrollment increases since the 2008 financial crisis.
