A national community college plan is in the works. According to the Washington Post, the proposed American Graduation Initiative would offer $12 billion to community colleges and add 5 million new graduates by 2020, many of whom cannot afford four-year universities. The plan would also help older workers obtain new skills. Speaking from Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan, President Obama said that “the hard truth is that some of the jobs that have been lost in the auto industry and elsewhere won’t be coming back… If you haven’t lost a job, chances are you know somebody who has: a family member, a neighbor, a friend, a co-worker.” $2.5 billion of the community college initiative would fund construction and renovation costs, $500 million for the development of new online courses, and, at the heart of the program, $9 billion towards “challenge grants.” The grants would encourage colleges to compete for funding by designing innovative new programs or revamping existing curricula. Funding of the plan would come from re-tinkering the way current college loans are made. With Congressional approval, the flow of funds will begin next year.