(Radio Iowa) – Republican leaders in the Iowa House may pursue a plan to have community colleges grant four-year degrees — but House Speaker Pat Grassley says it would have to be focused on helping residents in higher education deserts access a four-year degree program — in targeted subjects. “I don’t think we want to just turn them over to four-year degrees for every single thing,” Grassley says. “If there’s some really valid, justifiable degrees that maybe it makes sense, I think that would be where the conversation should start.”

House Majority Leader Bobby Kaufmann, a Republican from Wilton, says serving prospective students in parts of the state will be a likely focus. “Think of southeast Iowa, think of southwest Iowa,” Kaufmann said, “and there’s a real desire for something closer.” Kaufmann says some community colleges in eastern Iowa — like Kirkwood in Cedar Rapids — are next door to major four-year universities.

“I think that the bill that we put out will provide flexibility for customization within each individual community college,” Kaufmann said. The Community Colleges of Iowa released an analysis in October suggesting the 15 area community colleges would need 20 million dollars over the next five years to hire faculty, prepare facilities and design courses for four-degrees. Republican Representative Taylor Collins, chairman of the House Higher Education Committee, asked for the report.

“Where I’m sitting at today in Mediapolis, we’re over an hour away from another institution that grants four-year degrees, so this is really about unleashing opportunities for rural students who want to take the next step in their education,” Collins said,” and we also know it’s already being done.” Community colleges in 24 other states offer four-year degrees, mostly in high demand areas like nursing, business and education. “Really fields that we need more trained professionals,” Collins said, “particularly in those rural parts of the state.”

In 1989, West Virginia became the first state to have its community colleges offer four-year degrees. Missouri is the only neighboring state where some community colleges are offering four-year degrees. The governor of Illinois has proposed allowing some community colleges in his state to offering four-year degrees.