Not long ago, the phrase “debt-free college” was just a dreamy fantasy to the struggling student with two on-campus jobs and a full course load, but today’s Democrats want students to believe that this unicorn is the next best thing they have to offer.
Before the Million Student Marchers were throwing a tantrum about having to pay loans for their four (often more) years of partying and schooling, the Democrats were touting the idea as realistic and imminent in hopes of capturing young, low-information voters.
“It’s moving as quickly as any recent issue that I can think of,” said policy and legislative affairs analyst Reid Setzer.
The quick adoption of this lofty and economically irresponsible pipe-dream started to take wind in January when President Obama used his State of the Union address to introduce his plan for “free community college.”
This summer, The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, along with influential Democrats in Congress like Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) , held a press conference to announce a “growing momentum for a national goal of debt-free college.”
The momentum continued as Democratic presidential candidates seized on this new talking point as part of their campaigns.
In August, Clinton announced her college “affordability plan” which expect families to pay a “realistic contribution” for their child’s tuition but beyond that would not have to take out loans or pay fees for public universities.
For Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Hillary’s only other viable opponent, the premise of “free” for everyone isn’t new. Sander’s plan would completely rid public undergraduate institutions of tuition altogether. Instead, the federal government would pay two thirds of the cost, expand work-study programs, and lower student interest rates.
What the students “marching” for free tuition and debt-forgiveness painfully cannot explain is who will pay for their free college?
Hillary’s plan would cost taxpayers $350 billion over ten years — while Sander’s comes in at a whopping $750 billion.
Maybe instead of outraged college students protesting for their bills to be paid, they should #MillionStudentMarch themselves to a basic economics class and understand that the issue in rising college tuition isn’t found in making taxpayer’s bear the financial burden and calling it “free.”
