Clinton To Propose $350 Billion College Affordability Plan

[Purveyor]

Source: Associated Press

By LISA LERER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Calling for a "new college compact," Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday will unveil a $350 billion plan aimed at making college more affordable and reducing the crushing burden of student debt.

At a town hall meeting in New Hampshire, the state with the highest average student debt in the country, Clinton will propose steps to reduce the cost of four-year public schools, make two-year community colleges tuition-free and cut student loan interest rates, according to campaign aides.

The college affordability plan, a main plank of her policy platform, is an effort to address a major financial stress for many American families and satisfy a central demand of the Democratic party's liberal wing.

The proposal centers on a $200 billion federal incentive system aimed at encouraging states to expand their investments in higher education and cut student costs. States that guarantee "no-loan" tuition at four-year public schools and free tuition at community colleges will be eligible to receive federal funds.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DEM_2016_CLINTON_EDUCATION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-08-10-00-14-34

[riversedge]

1. Wonderful news

[candelista]

19. Oh, I don't know.

It's just more campaign rhetoric. What will she do when/if she actually gets elected? I have absolutely no idea. None. Zip. Nada.

[LannyDeVaney]

35. That seems a bit silly ...

Couldn't you say that about EVERY candidate running since President Obama's terms are up?

Are you implying you DO know what another candidate will do when elected?

[candelista]

46. Your comment is silly.

Hillary is way more opaque than Sanders or O'Malley. On purpose. You know that.

[riversedge]

39. check her website. It is also ongoing and situations change

[candelista]

47. Pure fluidity.

That's what she likes and vagueness is a means to it. So she doesn't have to be committed to anything or anyone except her big donors.

[Bubzer]

48. Its better than nothing, certainly.

I wish Hillary were more in line with Bernie's ideas of opening up free tuition rather than continuing the system as it stands. Too much profit is being made off the backs of those who cannot realistically afford it. She does get credit for wanting to make the 2-year institutions free... I just wish less of those institutions were for-profit schools.

[Psephos]

2. Unreal. Federal NINJA loan policies are what drove up tuition at 4x inflation.

Now moar money to "fix" it.

LOTS moar.

Somehow, the rest of the world doesn't have this problem. Nor did the US, until limitless loans for eighteen-year-olds became au courant.

[PoliticAverse]

3. Recd. I encourage people to read the whole article as it has important details about the plan. n/t

[msongs]

4. student loans were not a big problem until they were privatized. now once again that taxpayer

is suppose to pay the costs while the privateers skate with the profits

[restorefreedom]

5. this is the corporate model

more gimmees for those who don't need it.

nothing new here.

[Adrahil]

9. It's not just the loans....

Costs are increasing well in excess of inflation. My wife is a university professor, and we watch state funding get cut every year, and tuition has to go up to compensate.

[TexasBushwhacker]

55. I was going to say that

Funding for public universities has gone way down because governors want to crow that they lowered state spending and taxes.

For example, Rick Perry cut $1.2 Billion from higher education in 2012 alone. He also deregulated tuition costs for state schools in 2003, and tuitions almost doubled in 10 years.

[Fearless]

6. Bernie calls for free universal college for everyone... Hillary wants "college incentives"

Surprise!

[JackInGreen]

7. Dammit

Beat me to the punch.

[ChiTownDenny]

45. Oh, I don't know.

It's just more campaign rhetoric. What will he do when/if he actually gets elected? I have absolutely no idea. None. Zip. Nada.

[Sherman A1]

8. Agreed

And while far, far from an ideal solution it appears, it is at the very least recognizing the problem while our "charming" friends from the other party seem to make no mention of it at all....

[Adrahil]

10. Did you read the plan?

No-cost public universities ain't gonna happen for a long time. Trying adopt "no loan policies" and free community colleges is a good first state, and radically better than what we have now.

Neither plan will get by a Republican Congress, of course.

[merrily]

16. Great strategy: always start off with considerably less than people want and/or

need, then excuse that by saying nothing better than what you're asking will pass anyway.

Typical Third Way way.

[restorefreedom]

23. nailed it.

this is just a trickle down, watered down, weak version of bernie's.

[merrily]

24. And Obama's (as to community college)--though I am not sure what motion Obama

made in that direction.

[restorefreedom]

30. he seemed to talk about it

but costs are still obscene

[merrily]

34. Well, at least he put it out into the universe. I am not sure who did that first, though.

Not Hillary, that's certain.

[restorefreedom]

36. it wasn't hillary??

(gasp)

[jtuck004]

13. While they are trying to out-free each other on training I hope they hitch the horse first.

http://www.economicpopulist.org/content/job-training-isnt-silver-bullet-job-creation-5786

Especially since most training assumes there is someone out there with a job, not how you can cooperate with your neighbors to compete with the people who own your choices now.

[merrily]

17. Great, but sad, cartoon.

Without an education, the jobs that you can work anymore in the US are very limited. That is somewhat less true if you have an education. They have to work on both things. Heaven forbid we ask government to walk and chew gum at the same time.

[closeupready]

22. Yep. This is exactly what's happened to textile design.

It has been almost entirely outsourced to China and South Asia.

[merrily]

26. Offshoring and technology. They're even robotizing fast food service.

So much for all the "want fries with that?" jokes about Harvard grads.

Restaurants can't be offshored (reasonably), but they can be automated.

[LannyDeVaney]

37. Ha - free universal college ...

What dream world do you live in? That's not going to happen in the USA.

[arcane1]

51. We already have it in California n/t

[Fearless]

56. And why is that?

[joshcryer]

11. Doesn't stand a chance in hell of passing this congress.

And the incentive system may or may not be constitutional given how the ACA fared with its expansion incentives.

[merrily]

27. Excellent point, joshcryer.

Not many reporters, let alone lay people, even paid attention to the second part of the first ACA opinion.

[TM99]

32. Re-posted from a duplicate thread

on the topic.

I will reserve judgement on the refinancing plan until I actually see the numbers. There was an option in the mid-2000's to refinance and consolidate student loans. For many of us, it was not enough to end the onerous burden.

The grant program concerns me as well as it sounds very ACA like. And as we have seen there, some states can say no to the grants so as to retain control over their institutions without Federal interference. This means some states that accept will give relief to their students while states that decline will not.

O'Malley and Sanders plans make sure that Federal involvement is mandatory in that all state education is tuition free without strings or requirements. All students receive an equal education as opposed to only students in states that accept this grant plan in her plan.

[closeupready]

12. Yawn. Colleges will merely raise tuition

to eat the subsidy.

[Adrahil]

14. Honestly, you think Public Universities are ANXIOUS to raise tuitions?

They are NOT. Rising tuition and the burden of student loans is starting to adversely affect university enrollments.

[candelista]

18. Who said "anxious"?

States will simply cut back on spending on higher education and let Hillary's plan pick up the slack. They need the money for other purposes.

The money is fungible.

[closeupready]

21. Every institution in our society has been corrupted by greed, universities included.

There is no question that decision makers who run universities will find ways to continue raising costs to either taxpayers or students using any means at their disposal, including the aforementioned student loan balloon and, I predict, this infusion of taxpayer cash.

[merrily]

28. Closeupready is correct. They, like everyone else, raised costs after student loans became available

Sure, UMass may still be cheaper than Harvard, but they are not exempt from greed.

States, cities and towns are as hungry for money as anyone else and public colleges are never going to be empty. So, they'll charge more in tuition, fees, at the cafeterias and book stores, etc.

[Adrahil]

31. States are cutting higher education budgets every year....

You can, of course, criticize the excesses of some public universities, but most of those excesses are not enough to account the increase in tuition.

Here's one article on it:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2013/09/02/state-funding-declines-raise-tuition/2707837/

Here's another with a specific example:

http://lacrossetribune.com/state-funding-vs-tuition/image_5a6e2107-192f-5107-a165-82f25af3d7ea.html

[merrily]

33. You linked me to two stories saying tuition went up dramatically.

How does that contradict my prior post, which said, in part:

States, cities and towns are as hungry for money as anyone else and public colleges are never going to be empty. So, they'll charge more in tuition, fees, at the cafeterias and book stores, etc.

[Adrahil]

38. Yes, it DID! That's the POINT!

Because states are cutting funding to public universities. Did you read the articles or even look at the charts?

State governments are slashing state higher education funds.

Somehow you think that tuition goes into state general funds? They don't, at least I am not familiar with any state where that happens.

What we are seeing is that state universities are becoming more and more dependent upon outside grants (so, corporate-funded higher education), and tuition. State universities are slowly being converted into private universities.

[merrily]

40. Um, it was my point, too. My post did not say tuition goes into general funds.

You made that leap on your own.

My meaning: State and local being hungry for money to run themselves = less funding from them to a variety of things, including state universities.

Your links supported what Reply 28 says and do not contradict closeupready's prediction at all, either.

[Adrahil]

43. Ah, got it. Misunderstood your point...

As to closeupready's point.... that is probably true at some universities. I can say that I have not seen that happen at THIS university. As tuition goes up and up, it's becoming harder to recruit. Many students choose instead to go the cheaper (and much lower quality) community college here. It's a general dismantling of a quality public higher education system.

[closeupready]

49. I know that I performed better as a student at a cheaper, out-of-state

Big Ten university than the more expensive one which I attended in my home state. Yes, the out-of-state one is more highly regarded, but still, goes to show you that a university's price tag is not always a good indicator of how well students are being educated.

Peace to you. :hi;

[One_Life_To_Give]

41. State Legislature will push for it

The State would love to shift the burden of paying for a community college onto another revenue source. Thereby freeing up money to be spent elsewhere. Or in the case of repubs to give tax breaks to their friends.

[mcar]

15. Hope it's retroactive

My son starts college later this month.

[Calista241]

20. Damnit, just finished paying off my student loans.

Fucking bastard bankers.

[jeff47]

25. So the plan is to make it easier to handle larger student loans

and somehow that will rein in tuition costs. Because when people have access to more credit, they spend less money!!!



Federal funds for "no-loan"? Well, the federal funds do not cover all of the "no-loan" costs. So you are struggling to balance your state's finances and you're going to take on a large pile of costs so you can receive a small pile of federal money?

This is a plan for people to graduate $60,000 in debt instead of $30,000 in debt.

[HappyPlace]

29. Affordable: An 84-month car loan instead of a 36-month car loan = lower payments!

If you've ever dealt with car salespeople, then you know what I mean. If you claim that you can't afford a particular car or payment, then they will "help you" by suggesting a longer-term loan, which means even more interest payments and debt.

This is the kind of "affordable" we don't need.

We should be challenging the way things are done fundamentally, not making it easier for students to go into debt for educational programs that are questionable to begin with.

Work experience and training in the military and apprenticeships in the trades have greater value to many of us than overpriced crowded classes in the typical university setting, I'm sad to say.

It is a racket, at least in California, where the state department of education bullies kids into UC approved courses and AP classes get more funding while very skilled and talented students are shit upon.

[closeupready]

50. And this is a plan from a candidate with, we're told, over 200 financial advisers.

Things that make you go hmmm...

[J_J_]

42. The problem is 1%ers gaming the system, ripping us all off

At the University of Alaska, there are 167 admin making over $200,000.00 per year.
http://www.adn.com/article/20150424/top-university-alaska-administrators-take-unpaid-leave

So what do they do?

Cut teachers...

UAF cuts $20 million from budget, eliminates scores of teaching positions
http://www.adn.com/article/20150730/uaf-cuts-20-million-budget-eliminates-scores-teaching-positions

They cut classes...

Alaska Fairbanks plans to cut its philosophy degree program and reduce offerings in music and a variety of other areas, while suspending a dental hygiene program and merging journalism and theater
http://www.adn.com/article/20150422/faced-budget-pressures-uaf-drops-philosophy-program-trims-music-and-other-programs

Facing declining funds, UA kicks out popular child care center so they could redo the locker rooms

The $9.2 million price tag includes renovations to the hockey team locker room, ice rink renewal and electrical work.
http://www.adn.com/article/20150130/uaa-issues-eviction-notice-popular-child-care-center


The priorities here are striking.

We must continue to fund the 167 administrators and any and all overpriced sports crap, and everything else can go to hell.

Unbelievable,

And they expect us to encourage our children to take out loans to pay for this?

[Marrah_G]

44. Free tuition won't mean shit unless they include the fees

I know in Massachusetts the fees cost FAR more then the tuition.

MA has a program where if you get very good grades on the grade 10 tests then you get free state tuition. Everyone was all excited....until they found out how little a percentage that was of the real cost of college.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

52. How will Clinton pay for this?

She might have to shut down a war or two.

Naaaah

[lunamagica]

54. So you think this is hard to implement? How about FREE colege?

How is Sanders going to pay for THAT?

[lunamagica]

53. This is realistic

I expect college students to take a serious, long look to a realistic plan, and not be blinded with empty fantastic promises of "free college!" which can't be implemented