Because $19+ TRILLION debt just isn’t enough to ruin America, I guess.
Via NY Post: Hillary Clinton threw a bone to Bernie Sanders on Wednesday and offered up a new plan for tuition-free college.
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee proposed eliminating tuition entirely for families making up to $125,000 at state public colleges and universities, a move she estimates will cover 80 percent of applicants.
That’s a significant shift from her original plan for debt-free college that would have lessened the student loan burden but still imposed tuition.
“I remain committed to ensuring that a college degree is attainable for anyone in this country with the desire and determination to earn one,” Clinton said in a statement.
Sanders has called for public colleges to be tuition-free for everyone, regardless of income.
While Clinton didn’t go that far, Sanders praised her shift. “I applaud @HillaryClinton for the very bold initiative she has just brought forth for the financing of higher education,” Sanders tweeted immediately after the announcement.
Sanders, still officially running for president, has been pushing the Democratic platform committee to adopt his more progressive ideas. His campaign is urging supporters to pressure the committee to formally oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal that President Obama supports and Clinton once embraced. She’s since opposed the deal.
The tuition-free proposal signals the willingness of the Clinton campaign to inch toward Sanders’ agenda to earn his endorsement and encourage his supporters — especially young people — to embrace Clinton.
The tuition-free plan would start with families earning $85,000 a year or less and tick up to $125,000 by 2021. Clinton also said she would issue an executive order granting a three-month break to all federal student loan borrowers.
During that reprieve, borrowers could consolidate loans, enroll in programs to reduce monthly payments or recover from delinquency.
DCG
