Earlier this month President Obama outlined a proposal to offer students two years of free community college tuition. The President enters the discussion about college affordability with a sizable advantage over Republicans. According to a recent ABC News/Washington Post poll*, 61{09f965da52dc6ab4c1643a77bd40d1f729d807040cd8db540234bb981a782222} of Americans believe that Obama has the better ideas to help more students afford college. His 39-point edge over Republicans on this issue is his biggest advantage across the six items tested.
“Who do you think has the better ideas about [ITEM] – Obama or the Republicans in Congress?”
“Helping More Students Afford College” – By Party
“Obama has proposed providing free tuition to attend community colleges at a cost to the federal government of sixty billion dollars over 10 years. Do you support or oppose this proposal?”
A closer look at some of the demographic differences on this issue:
- Support is predictably lower among Republicans (23{09f965da52dc6ab4c1643a77bd40d1f729d807040cd8db540234bb981a782222} support). Majorities of Independents (54{09f965da52dc6ab4c1643a77bd40d1f729d807040cd8db540234bb981a782222}) and Democrats (76{09f965da52dc6ab4c1643a77bd40d1f729d807040cd8db540234bb981a782222}) support the plan.
- There is a significant divide based on ethnicity, with support twice as high among non-White adults (79{09f965da52dc6ab4c1643a77bd40d1f729d807040cd8db540234bb981a782222}) than it is among White respondents (40{09f965da52dc6ab4c1643a77bd40d1f729d807040cd8db540234bb981a782222}).
- Younger Americans are more positive toward the President’s proposal (65{09f965da52dc6ab4c1643a77bd40d1f729d807040cd8db540234bb981a782222} support). Support dips to 44{09f965da52dc6ab4c1643a77bd40d1f729d807040cd8db540234bb981a782222} among seniors.
- By educational attainment, Americans with post-graduate degrees are most supportive (57{09f965da52dc6ab4c1643a77bd40d1f729d807040cd8db540234bb981a782222}).
* N=1,003 adults nationally conducted January 12-15, 2015, via telephone.