Earlier this month, President Barack Obama proposed to make the first two years of community college "free for everybody who is willing to work for it."

He said states would provide a quarter of the funding and the remaining 75 percent of the cost would be covered by the federal government.The presidents of Lehigh Carbon Community College and Northampton Community College are optimistic that Obama's proposal could become reality.Some state political leaders don't share the same optimism.White House officials admit that the ambitious proposal would cost about $60 billion over the next decade.State Rep. Jerry Knowles of Tamaqua said, "As a graduate of Thaddeus Stevens Trade School, I have long been a strong supporter of technical schools and community colleges. I am glad to see that any negative stigma surrounding such educations is becoming a thing of the past."He added, "I certainly appreciate the president's proposal to offer free community college educations; however, the devil is in the details."Where would the money come from for the state match, Knowles asked. "Perhaps we should sell the liquor stores and use some of those dollars to fund such a program," he said.Presidents of both community colleges feel that free community college would be a great investment by the government and would reap positive returns.Dr. Mark H. Erickson, president of Northampton Community College, said there are many people who can't afford to go to any college."Surely I get excited about the idea because it would open the door for those who can't afford to make it. It would offer a great opportunity to those who can't afford it," Erickson said.It would be "a creative pathway to a four-year college," he said. It also would help businesses and industries by providing them with more college-educated workers.Dr. Erickson said, "I think the return on the investment on this kind of proposal is phenomenal.""There are many countries around the globe that provide public education beyond high school," he said. "All indicators are that we're behind those countries. We need to do something bold."The bottom line, he said, is "As president of a community college, I watch those very capable individuals who work their way through here. They have jobs that demand a lot of their time. I just think it will make it much more likely these individuals will make it through the institution."Free tuition in TamaquaDr. Ann Bieber, president of Lehigh Carbon Community College, agreed.She pointed out that locally, the Morgan Foundation provides free tuition to the facility for all Tamaqua Area School District graduates.That program is so successful, she said, that she is hoping to duplicate it in other areas, including downtown Allentown where businesses are being asked to assist.She feels eventually the concept of free community college will be embraced."We're just so excited," she said. "Education really is just the equalizer."State Sen. John Yudichak is behind the proposal."We are fortunate to have some of the best community colleges in the country right here in northeastern Pennsylvania with Lehigh Carbon Community College and Luzerne County Community College," he said. "I am encouraged by the president's proposal which will certainly open the doors to our community colleges for prospective students of all social and economic backgrounds."Yudichak added, "If we are going to position Pennsylvania and the nation for future economic growth, it is imperative that we continue to build and develop a highly-skilled and educated workforce by making the dream of a college education a potential reality for every American citizen."However, Sen. David Argall and State Rep. Doyle Heffley had reservations about the costs involved in a free tuition program."The president has yet to lay out any specifics of how he expects the taxpayers to pay for this plan," Argall said. "While the federal government can print money and expand its $18 trillion deficit, the Pennsylvania Constitution requires us to balance our budget each year."Not freeHe said, "I believe the president should consider the successful example of Lehigh Carbon Community College in Tamaqua. There, the generous support of the Morgan Foundation provides students at Tamaqua Area School District the option to attend Lehigh Carbon Community College for free. I think more public-private partnerships can lead to more opportunity and less strain on overburdened taxpayers."Heffley said that Obama's proposal could be too costly for taxpayers."As a graduate of Lincoln Technical Institute, I understand the importance of technical schools and community colleges in preparing students for today's high-tech workforce," he said. "And as a parent, I am very concerned about the rising costs of higher education.""Every time this president says something is free, it ends up costing the working class more. His plan for 'free' health care, for example, actually increased costs for Pennsylvanians. He is using the same pitch for his free community college plan, when actually working class families will be on the hook for much of the bill," Heffley said.Instead, Heffley said, "A better alternative would be increasing funding for the Federal Pell Grant Program, which provides funding directly to students." He also voted in support of increasing state aid to local community colleges."I would love to see increased funding for programs that provide financial aid directly to students," he added.