Presidential candidate, Senator Hillary Clinton, visited Plymouth State University on October 11, where she unveiled her campaign plan to make higher education more affordable.
Using her slogan, “Rebuilding the road to the middle class” Clinton stated that affordable college tuition was the way to do so. “Today at Plymouth State University, I want to unveil my plan as president,” Clinton said as she stood before the full HUB courtroom.
“When it comes to higher education, we shouldn’t be playing catch-up with the world,” Clinton said, “Because the skills and knowledge of our workforce will determine whether America can compete and win in a global economy.”
A key step in this plan is to give every deserving American a chance to get a college degree.
The New York Senator began by addressing responsibility of the next President to map out where the US will go in much of the twenty first century and fix her plan to the problems caused by the current U.S. administration.
Clinton proposed to make college more affordable by providing a $3,500 tuition tax credit, which she stated is more than half the cost of tuition at most public institutions. Clinton added that she would increase Pell Grants annually, adjusting them according to the rising costs of college.
The Presidential hopeful also wishes to provide additional support for people who partake in public service, such as Americorps, by doubling the Segal Education Award to $10,000 for people who serve for a one-year or two-year term for the country.
“I want to get back to the basic bargain that I was raised on,” Clinton said. “If you work hard and you are responsible, you and your family will get ahead.”
Clinton also talked on how she wants to phase out use of FASFA forms. Her criticism of this system is that it is longer than the average tax return, and after it is filled out, parents and students still don’t have an actual contribution towards the Fall semester tuition. By the time this information finally comes, it does not give families ample time to cover the necessary expenses.
To fix this issue, the Senator suggested putting a financial aid box to check on tax returns. Upon checking it, families would receive notification from the Department of Education showing the amount of grants and loans to which that family is entitled to.
Clinton proposed creating an online Education Cost-Calculator, which families could access to figure out the amount of aid they will receive at the beginning of their University education and how much is necessary to pay out of pocket for their entire college career.
“When you start college your first year,” Clinton said, “you should know just how much you are going to pay until you graduate.”
Senator Clinton insists that college affordability is the gateway back towards a prosperous middle class, which is what America is in need of to effectively progress into the future with optimism.
“You can find rich people all over the world,” Clinton said, “but with all due respect, the rich aren’t what made America great.”
Clinton suggests that a change in college affordability is more important to students than to anybody else, and therefore one of the most important issues of the election because students are the future of America.
“Change is just a word if you don’t have the strength and experience to make it happen,” said Clinton, pointing out that she has had experience both in the legislature and has seen how the White House works, making her, she said, the strongest candidate in the election.
“Too many people today just feel invisible when it comes to paying for college,” said Clinton, “but you are not invisible to me, and you will not be invisible to the next President of the United States of America.”