Surrounded by uncertainty in an economy that may not have yet hit bottom, anyone who can make us feel less anxious deserves a prize.

So, the first anti-anxiety award should go to John Fitzsimmons, president of the Maine Community College System, which has created a kind of recession insurance plan for prospective students.

Fitzsimmons has promised free tuition for any full-time student who is a dependent of a worker who loses his or her job.

The idea is to take away at least one reason to put off enrolling a student in post-secondary education. Anyone worried about losing a job - and these days, who isn't? - can commit to sending a child to a two-year college program without worrying that they will be left with one more unpayable debt if they get laid off.

The idea comes at just the right time. The slow economy has made things tougher than ever for job seekers, particularly those who lack skills and experience.

The next two years are a perfect time for kids finishing high school to be developing the tools that will make them more marketable when the economy turns around.

It would be a shame for students to miss future opportunities because their parents were anxious about committing to tuition at a time when their jobs were in jeopardy.

This program will not end the recession, stimulate the economy right away or convince banks to start lending again.

But it might take away one reason for a young person to put off beginning a college education. With all the pressures on students and their families already, anything that eases the burden is welcome indeed.

(c) 2009 Portland Press Herald. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.

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