May 9, 2016 | Owen Minott Sources: Sources: Politico, “Hillary Clinton’s $350 billion plan to kill college debt”; Washington Post, “How O’Malley wants to lighten the load of college debt”; Washington Post, “How student debt became a presidential campaign issue”; MarketWatch, “Where each of the 2016 candidates stand on the student-loan crisis,”; HillaryClinton.com; Heather Gautney, “College Affordability: Comparing the Clinton and Sanders Plans,” BernieSanders.com, August 15, HIGHER EDUCATION AFFORDABILITY Where do the Candidates Stand on Higher Education Costs? Free Public Universities Free Community College Students Can Refinance Their Loans Income-based repayment Hillary Clinton  Bernie Sanders  Donald Trump  ??? Candidates’ Positions on College Affordability

May 9, 2016 | Owen Minott Sources: Politico, “Hillary Clinton’s $350 billion plan to kill college debt”; Washington Post, “How O’Malley wants to lighten the load of college debt”; Washington Post, “How student debt became a presidential campaign issue”; MarketWatch, “Where each of the 2016 candidates stand on the student-loan crisis,”; HillaryClinton.com; Heather Gautney, “College Affordability: Comparing the Clinton and Sanders Plans,” BernieSanders.com, August 15, HIGHER EDUCATION AFFORDABILITY Where do the Candidates Stand on Higher Education Costs? College Affordability Plan Hillary Clinton Introduced the New College Compact, a 10-year, estimated $350 billion proposal to help students pay for college and reduce interest rates for people with student loans. Aims to allow students to attend a four-year public college without taking out loans, or to attend community college tuition-free, by increasing state spending on higher education, encouraging institutions to cut costs while boosting graduation rates, and creating incentives for innovation. Pell Grants are not included in the calculation of no-debt-tuition, so Pell recipients would be able to use their grants fully for living expenses. Supports income-based repayment program so that borrowers never have to pay more than 10 percent of what they make. Will allow students to refinance their loans at current rates. Clinton claims that an estimated 25 million borrowers will receive debt relief, and the typical borrower could save $2,000 over the life of his or her loans. Bernie Sanders Proposed a federal program to make four-year public colleges and universities tuition-free. This plan, estimated to cost $70 billion per year, would be funded by a tax on Wall Street transactions by investment houses, hedge funds and other financial speculators. Sanders would expand Pell grants and allow students to refinance their loans. Sanders claims that the student loan rate would drop from 4.29 percent to 2.37 percent under Sanders’ plan. Supports an income-based repayment system. Sanders supports many aspects of Clinton’s plan, but doesn’t think it goes far enough because public universities would not be free for all, and Sanders claims Clinton’s plan is not actually debt-free. Donald Trump Trump has not outlined a specific plan for college affordability. He has criticized Sanders’ plan for tuition free education, saying it would increase taxes.