Oregonian
January 9th, 2015
Oregon would seriously consider taking part in the "bold" and "intriguing" proposal for free community college tuition that President Obama is floating in the days leading up to his State of the Union address, Oregon higher education chief Ben Cannon said Friday.
That is true even though Oregon spent much of 2014 considering its own free community college proposal -- then ultimately rejected it as less deserving of state funds than other approaches to help young Oregonians afford and complete college.
Cannon, executive director of Oregon's Higher Education Coordinating Commission, stressed that there are many unknowns about Obama's proposal, first unveiled by video Thursday evening.
The president indicated he wants the federal government, in partnership with states, to waive community college tuition for students who enroll at least half-time and maintain a 2.5 grade-point average.