In this education plan, Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Roy Cooper proposed a tuition-free community college plan. The Cooper campaign writes,
A number of states either have a free community college program or are considering offering one. The program works as a last dollar scholarship program whereby the state provides a grant to cover the remaining share of tuition and fees after Pell Grants and other financial aid and scholarships are applied. Most programs also offer mentors to help students navigate the college process on their journey toward success.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, three states have tuition-free community college programs (TN, OR, and MN) and ten states have legislation pending.
Cooper’s proposal has a lot in common with the Tennessee Promise program. In 2014, the Tennessee legislature appropriated $347 million to endow the program. $300 million of the endowment came from the state’s lottery reserve fund, while the legislature picked up the rest.
Cooper does not indicate how he would pay for a similar program in North Carolina. Instead, he would “put together a team of education partners and budgetary advisors” to figure it out.
