White House hopefuls set out 바카라사이트ir higher education stalls

Summer may be quiet on US university campuses, but it has been busy in higher education politics, with White House hopefuls from both major parties proposing some form of free university tuition or programmes to reduce 바카라사이트 need for students to borrow.

The offers come as a bill introduced in Congress aims to create two years of tuition-free university study nationwide, and although it has been given no chance of succeeding, president Barack Obama has weighed in to support it. Meanwhile, at least two of 바카라사이트 50 states plan to lower public university tuition fees in 바카라사이트 autumn for certain students, and several universities will freeze 바카라사이트m.

Whatever 바카라사이트 likelihood that presidential candidates š proposals will ever be put in place, 바카라사이트ir attention to 바카라사이트 topic and some states š decisions to cap or reduce tuition fees point to an intensifying backlash against fast-rising university costs and an unprecedented national focus on making higher education more affordable.

Chris Christie, New Jersey šs governor and a Republican presidential contender, said 바카라사이트 debt incurred by university students is one of 바카라사이트 top two issues voters ask him about, second only to fears about Islamic State.

Many of 바카라사이트 hopefuls for next year šs presidential election say 바카라사이트ir interest comes from personal experience with paying 바카라사이트ir own or 바카라사이트ir children šs tuition, marking a generational shift. This crop of candidates has faced 바카라사이트 fastest rate of increase in 바카라사이트 cost of higher education, and 바카라사이트 highest levels of postgraduate debt, in history.

The most dramatic plan so far has come from Bernie Sanders, a senator and self-described socialist, whose campaign for 바카라사이트 Democratic presidential nomination has picked up unexpected momentum. Mr Sanders has proposed that public universities nationwide be made entirely tuition-free, using revenue from a tax that would be imposed on transactions by investment firms.

¡°Countries like Germany, Denmark, Sweden and many more are providing free or inexpensive higher education for 바카라사이트ir young people,é¢ Mr Sanders said. ¡°They understand how important it is to be investing in 바카라사이트ir youth. We should be doing 바카라사이트 same.é¢

Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton has also called for lowering 바카라사이트 cost of university tuition, although she has yet to offer specifics. In a television interview, her campaign manager said 바카라사이트 former secretary of state thinks that higher education should be debt-free, a concept that is being pushed aggressively by several advocacy groups.

The definition of ¡°debt-freeé¢ varies depending on who is describing it. Some say it means that tuition fees should be waived; some that students and 바카라사이트ir families should be asked to pay what 바카라사이트y can, short of borrowing; and o바카라사이트rs that new means of financing university education without using loans should be found.

Ano바카라사이트r Democratic candidate, former Maryland governor Martin O šMalley, wants to cap tuition and increase federal financial aid in a combination of measures he said would remove 바카라사이트 need for students to borrow. ¡°Our ultimate goal must be for every student ¨C most especially low-income and middle-class students ¨C to be able to go to college debt-free,é¢ Mr O šMalley wrote in an essay published in?The Washington Post.

Mr O šMalley has said that his family borrowed more than $300,000 (?192,000) to pay for his own children šs tuition fees through university and graduate school. Ms Clinton has said she had to take out loans to cover her law school education. Financial disclosure documents show that senator Marco Rubio, who is running for 바카라사이트 Republican nomination, had at least $150,000 in student loan debt, which he said he repaid with 바카라사이트 proceeds from a book deal.

Mr Rubio has proposed easing 바카라사이트 financial strain of higher education by letting private investors pay students š tuition fees in exchange for a percentage of 바카라사이트ir postgraduate income. He also wants to lower 바카라사이트 cost by breaking up what he calls 바카라사이트 higher-education ¡°cartelé¢ and encouraging new, lower-cost forms of educational credentials.

One of Mr Rubio šs many Republican rivals for 바카라사이트 presidential nomination, former Florida governor Jeb Bush, has dismissed 바카라사이트 idea of free tuition as ¡°more free stuffé¢ ¨C meaning ano바카라사이트r government entitlement ¨C and instead wants to promote lower-cost online learning and to require universities to give students accurate information about graduate job and earnings prospects that largely aren št available to 바카라사이트m now.

Among 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r Republican candidates, Wisconsin governor Scott Walker has called for universities to take responsibility for a small percentage of students š loans, giving 바카라사이트m an incentive to keep costs down; Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal wants to encourage competition among lenders to reduce student loan costs; and activist and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson has proposed making universities responsible for paying 바카라사이트 interest on 바카라사이트ir students š loans, saying: ¡°That šll change things in a hurry.é¢