Rep. JOHN DELANEY (D-MD)
Rep. Delaney has introduced legislation to allow student loans to
be discharged under bankruptcy, and he is in support of guaranteed
community college or technical training. He has not stated whether
he supports tuition-free or debt-free programs.
Rep. TIM RYAN (D-OH)
Rep. Ryan is a co-sponsor of the College For All Act, the Debt-Free
College Partnerships Act and the Aim Higher Act.
Rep. TULSI GABBARD (D-HI)
Rep. Gabbard has co-sponsored the House version of the
College for All Act championed by Senator Bernie Sanders, and
she helped introduce the Forever GI Bill that would extend GI Bill
benefits for veterans.
Sen. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA)
Senator Harris supports free public two- or four-year college
through federal/state partnership, is a co-sponsor of the College for
All Act, endorsed Sen. Brian Schatz’s “debt-free” college bill, and
is a co-sponsor of the What You Can Do For Your Country Act. But
she also developed her own plan to reduce student loan debt that
involves forgiving up to $20,000 from Pell Grant recipients who have
student loans and start a business that operates for three years in
disadvantaged communities. She also pledged to invest $60 billion
in HBCUs, and introduced the Basic Assistance for Students in
College Act that would ensure college students are able to afford
day-to-day necessities.
Sen. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN)
Co-sponsoring the What You Can Do For Your Country Act, voicing
her support for free community college and supporting Pell Grant
expansion are the extent of Klobuchar’s collegiate initiatives. Instead,
Klobuchar is more supportive of expanding affordable apprenticeship
opportunities. She is a lead sponsor of the American Apprenticeship
Act, which would provide support for states to create or expand tuition
assistance programs for students completing apprenticeships. She
also introduced a bill to expand the uses of 529 Education Savings
Accounts to include apprenticeship or credentialing programs.
Mayor WAYNE MESSAM (D-FL)
The mayor of Miramar, Florida has indicated that eliminating
student loan debt is one of his top priorities, proposing to finance
his reform through the repeal of tax cuts implemented under the
Trump administration.
Sen. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT)
The College For All Act, introduced by Sanders, would provide
$47 billion per year to eliminate undergraduate tuition and fees at
public colleges and universities. He also proposes an expansion of
the Federal Work Study program and changes the allocation formula
to be based off the aggregate need of the university’s students,
financed by a Wall Street speculation fee. He has further proposed
the elimination of $1.6 trillion in outstanding student loan debt,
including private and graduate school debt, paid for through a tax
on Wall Street said to generate $2 trillion in 10 years. This plan
would also make public universities, community colleges and trade
schools tuition-free. Sanders also co-sponsors the What You Can Do
For Your Country Act.
Former Rep
JOE SESTAK (D-PA)
The former Pennsylvania congressman wants to provide states
with grants to support tuition at community colleges and public
universities, and make federal student aid and loans contingent on
universities keeping annual tuition increases at or below inflation.
Sestak’s platform includes restructuring federal student loans
establishing a national college credit transfer program, and creating
a “Training for a Lifetime” program to increase job training and
continuing education opportunities.
Tom Steyer (D-CA)
The self-made billionaire has not yet said much about higher
education, only that the government “must protect the right to a free,
quality, public education from preschool through college and on to
skills training.”
Former Rep.
BETO O’ROURKE (D-TX)
O’Rourke’s strongest stance on college reform is to eliminate
all student loan debt for public school teachers. He is also in favor
of free community college, debt-free four-year college, student
loan refinancing and the expansion of the Public Service Loan
Forgiveness program.
Sen.
ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA)
Senator Warren’s platform includes plenty of support for college
education. She is in favor of universal free public college through
federal/state partnerships and a prorated loan forgiveness
program based on household income. Other initiatives include Pell
Grant expansion; holding institutions accountable for improving
completion rates of lower-income students and students of color;
banning federal funding of for-profit colleges; and the option for
federal loan refinancing. She also intends to introduce a bill to
cancel up to $50,000 in student loan debt for every borrower with
a household income less than $100,000. Prorated debt cancellation
would also be applied to borrowers with greater household incomes,
and Warren has also included private loans in her debt cancellation
proposal. With costs at an estimated $640 billion, it would be paid
through Warren’s proposed Ultra-Millionaire Tax.
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