By Jorge Campos |Staff Writer|

President Barack Obama has officially proposed to make community colleges “virtually free” for anybody who is willing to work for it.

This economical help will only benefit students who graduate high school with a GPA of 2.5 or higher. His plan, the “America’s College Promise”, will encourage students to maintain good grades and reach for a high school diploma.

“Given that this is Obama’s final State of the Union Address, it was likely that he was trying to define his presidential legacy with this speech. In theory, it is of course a good idea but if it increases national debt then I would give the plan a second look,” said CSUSB’s Political Science Professor Meredith Conroy.

A school containing over 40,000 students can be a problem.

The federal government would pay 75 percent of college tuition, according to the Los Angeles Times, requiring the states to pay for the rest.

The plan, however, will take time to process. America’s College Promise will be included in the 2016 federal budget and will have to wait for congress approval, White House officials said.

The average student attending community college will save approximately $3,800 annually which will provide the community colleges with higher graduation rates and push individuals into the middle class according to the Los Angeles Times.

The proposal will begin by having the first two years of community college free and wait to see the outcome.

“A college degree is the key to getting in the middle class,” said Obama at the technical center in Knoxville, Tennessee.

The president has also raised the Pell Grant award by $1,000 for the working lower and middle class along with making loans more accessible with only 10 percent interest.

Access to a higher education is a necessity in today’s knowledge-based society.

With this opportunity at hand, millions of high school graduates will finally have the opportunity to attend college and obtain a career with a high paying job, according to Quartz News.

“This funding will benefit students because they will be provided with a new opportunity to better themselves and those around them and provide a better life for future generations,” said San Bernardino Valley College student, Adrian Keller.

Going to a community college will be the best way to earn a degree if the first two years are free, knowing that students won’t need to take out loans and pile up in debt.

This means that students will be encouraged to complete a bachelors degree at a four year school and the number of students applying for college will increase, according to the Los Angeles Times.

With more money being provided, the community colleges are also able to improve themselves.

They will have the money to purchase more supplies like books, computers, desks and have more ways to assist their students, according to Quartz News.