“The N.C. House of Representatives is working on a bill for community colleges”

By Spencer Schneier, Staff Writer

Published in print Feb. 4, 2015

In a brief session last Thursday, the N.C. House of Representatives introduced a round of legislation as the General Assembly ramps up to full gear.

During the session, Rep. Paul Stam and Rep. Gary Pendleton, Wake County Republicans, proposed a bill regarding community collegs.

The bill, if passed into law, would allow N.C. community colleges to teach UNC system-approved general education courses during summer session and receive funding for said courses year-round.

North Carolina is generally regarded as having one of the best community college systems in the country, and offering transferable credits to four-year universities will only serve to bolster that reputation.

As The Carolinian recently reported, the Obama administration is looking to make community college free for students. However, if Obama’s proposal is signed into law, students aren’t the only ones guaranteed a free ride.

The N.C. House of Representative’s proposal means community colleges would receive the necessary funding to support the potential influx of students applying to community colleges due to Obama’s proposal.

With many political commentators questioning if states will even support Obama’s free-tuition program, the N.C. House of Representative’s proposed bill might be acting as a preemptive gesture.

With a UNC board of governors vote on tuition and fees taking place this February, many in the UNC system are concerned about the possible increases in costs students may see next academic year.

As the N.C. General Assembly starts its 2015-2016 session, it seems the debate about public higher education and funding isn’t scheduled to stop anytime soon.