Скачать или смотреть How Might "Free Tuition" At Community Colleg

President Barack Obama is turning to the American people as a way to push through a broad agenda for his final two years in office.

His State of the Union address covered a wide range of topics Tuesday night. Many of his proposals are designed to benefit the middle class.

President Obama called on Congress to act on his proposal to make tuition free at community colleges.

"At every moment of economic change throughout our history, this country has taken bold action to adapt to new circumstances, and to make sure everyone gets a fair shot," says Obama.

If the proposal is ever made into a law, what will this mean for traditional universities?

"We don't necessarily think it's as simple as making community college free as he suggested... details are very sketchy," says Lee University President, Paul Conn.

At Lee University, the average tuition for a student living on-campus is $22,000 a year.

The National Center for Education Statistics says the average undergraduate tuition per year is $14,000 at public schools and $38,000 at private schools.

But the proposal isn't concerning for Conn, who says he doesn't believe Lee will see a decline in enrollment.

"We tend to believe four year schools, either public like UTC or private like Lee, do a really good job of keeping kids in school after they've started as freshman," says Conn.

While Obama's proposal is still just that, Conn says Lee will continue to accommodate students who choose to transfer to Lee after two years of junior college.

"All of the smart money says it shouldn't pass. If it does, we'll see how it plays out."

By: Kelsey Bagwell