Gov. Haslam says Obama's national college program not best approach

President Barack Obama and Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam
President Barack Obama and Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam
photo President Barack Obama and Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam

WASHINGTON - Gov. Bill Haslam applauded President Barack Obama today for trying to give more Americans a shot at a college degree, but he said putting in place a national program to offer two years of free community college may not be the best approach.

"States can come up with their own methods to do things like this," Haslam said during a State Solutions Conference in Washington. "I think the idea he obviously has is right. But let states figure out how to do it."

Obama's proposal, launched last month during a presidential visit to Knoxville, would give two years of free community college to students who enroll in programs that meet certain academic standards and who maintain at least a 2.5 grade-point average and show steady progress toward completing their degree.

Read more from our news partner at KnoxNews.com. News report from the announcement:

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