Joanne Jacobs says that “community college essentially is open and free for all.” If she means that anyone can get in a community college, that is probably correct. But it’s not free. It’s not even free to the students. I teach at a community college which says it is $35 a credit hour, but a three hour class, once you add in fees, becomes $300. That’s not expensive, but some of my students, full-time teacher’s aides and parents, make less than $12,000 a year. Taking another $300 out for one class is more than they can afford.