Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Jill Biden Greets Queens Students in Push for Free Community College Plan

 Dr. Jill Biden addresses students at LaGuardia Community College in Queens on Nov. 4, 2015.
Dr. Jill Biden addresses students at LaGuardia Community College in Queens on Nov. 4, 2015.
View Full Caption
DNAinfo/Jeanmarie Evelly

LONG ISLAND CITY — Dr. Jill Biden was in Queens Wednesday morning, greeting students there as part of President Barack Obama's proposal to make the country's community colleges free for two years.

The Second Lady of the United States spoke to LaGuardia Community College students as part of the "Heads Up America" campaign, in support of the president's plan to offer free tuition for the first two years of community college for students who maintain a certain grade point average.

"President Obama and I believe all students, new and returning, should be able to graduate ready for the new economy without being saddled with decades of debt," Biden told the auditorium of students.

"It's too hard to get ahead when you start off so far behind," she said.

An English professor herself at a community college in Virginia, Biden said the president's "America's College Promise" would benefit some 9 million students across the country.

The proposal would save the a typical full-time community college student an average of $3,800 a year in tuition costs, according to the White House.

"So many successful Americans went to community college and wouldn’t be where they are today without the education and support they received," Biden said.

The event was part of an open house at the school in support of the "Heads Up America" campaign, which showcased the different student clubs and organizations available at LaGuardia for current and perspective students.

Rachel Chambers, who's studying social sciences and humanities at LaGuardia, has become a student spokeswoman for the president's "Heads Up America" campaign.

The 18-year-old said the chance to go to community college for free would make a huge impact on students like her.

"[It] would make a huge difference in our ability to focus on our studies and move forward in our lives," she said.