Report Questions Free Community College

A new report from the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research -- a conservative think tank -- argues that community colleges aren't ready for the consequences of providing "free" tuition until they provide intensive counseling and "emulate" the for-profit college sector with relevant course work and internships. The consequences of free community college, the report said, would be a larger number of students looking to enroll in two-year colleges with low performance rates. As a way to encourage community colleges to make these changes, the report encourages federal funding to be awarded conditionally. Under the proposal, qualifying colleges would need to have proven records of "above-average" graduation rates and "below-average" student loan default rates.