During Saturday’s Democratic debate, the topic of free college was inevitably going to come up.
CBS News moderator Kevin Cooney asked Bernie Sanders about his plan on free college tuition at public colleges and universities. Cooney’s first question to Sanders asked that, since 63 percent who enroll graduate, if it was throwing away money.
Sanders asserted it was not, and instead called it “an extraordinary investment for this country.” Sanders also called his plan “revolutionary for education in America” and added that “it will give hope for millions of young people.”
With a question regarding the states who will pay for a third of the $70 billion plan, Sanders offered his thoughts that the states are “gonna be pretty smart.” For those who aren’t, Sanders thinks they “will pay a heavy penalty.”
Martin O’Malley agreed with Sanders’ approach in part, but distinguished his approach in being in favor of debt-free college. He also touted his credit of how he “made college more affordable and was the only state that went four years in a row without a penny’s increase to college tuition.”
Hillary Clinton had previously been asked about her plans such as free community college and mandatory maternity leave, with regards of who would pay for it. During the discussion of free college she expanded upon her plans for tuition:
I disagree with free college for everybody. I don’t think taxpayers should be paying to send Donald Trump’s kids to college. It think it oughta be a compact families contribute, kids contribute, and together, we want to make it possible for our new generation of young people to refinance their debt and not come out with debt in the future.
Hillary acknowledged that so-called free college would be paid for by others when she threw out how “taxpayers should not be paying to send Donald Trump’s kids to college.” The line was met with much applause.
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