Rebekah Lee: Set high standards for free college

In response to the Sept. 7 news article “2 counties to offer free community college”: As a recent transfer student from a community college to N.C. State University, I believe that free community college to students with a high GPA would be a great motivational tool.

I witnessed students first-hand at the community college who were on financial aid and did not care about their grades as long as they were passing. Without a high GPA, it is nearly impossible to transfer to a four-year school, let alone find a decent job.

The article stated that the scholarship would be for students who took dual-enrollment courses with a minimum 3.0 GPA. A high GPA standard set for their entire community college career would be more effective than unrestricted financial aid because it would motivate those students to continue in their success.

Without this requirement, recipients would most likely not strive to keep up their GPAs, making the free community college a waste of money and effort.

Free community college would be great motivation for students who are willing to work for it by maintaining a minimum GPA of 3.0.

This story was originally published October 7, 2015 at 6:10 PM with the headline "Rebekah Lee: Set high standards for free college."