Community College Executives’ Perspectives of Tuition-Free Community College: A Phenomenological Analysis

• In Event: Impacting Post-Secondary Education: Threats, Challenges, and Opportunities

Abstract

Tuition-free public education has been suggested as a viable policy solution aimed at curtailing the rising cost of tuition and the growing level of student loan debt. This qualitative, phenomenological analysis attempts to understand how community college executive team members view the tuition-free community college agenda and their beliefs on how tuition-free community college might help or inhibit post-secondary student outcomes. Early findings suggest that executive team members are skeptical of how tuition-free community college will aid in student success measures and perceive several policy conflicts when considering its implementation.

Author

• Matthew Paul Ison, Sinclair Community College/Ohio University