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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forumsfrom Martin O'Malley: Debt free College
Sounds like a pipe dream? It shouldn't be.
When my dad returned home from flying a B-24 Liberator in WWII, the GI bill was what enabled him to go to school, open a law practice, and support a family.
Today, our kids arent getting the same bargain that my dad did.
The majority of students are graduating with significant debt. This is debt big enough for the down payment on a new house. And instead of buying a house or starting a business, recent graduates are struggling not to default on their student loans.
It's outrageous that we can figure out a way to bail out big banks, but we can't figure out a way to make college affordable.
In Maryland, we saw this trend, and we refused to give up. We froze tuition at public four-year institutions, invested in higher education and financial aid, and took steps to make sure our high school students were graduating with a degree thats already worth something.
Now it's time, as a country, that we do even more. Our ultimate goal should be simple: every student should be able to go to college debt-free.
Today, I'm offering some ideas to tackle this problem of student loan debt head-on.
We can make college affordable, and we can start by making sure our students get a far better deal on their loans.
The American Dream shouldn't come with strings attached. Let's fight to make college debt-free.
http://action.martinomalley.com/debtfreecollege
Thank you,
Martin O'Malley
daleanime
(17,796 posts)betterdemsonly
(1,967 posts)and re instituting glass-steagall.
I am tepid about proposals for kinder, gentler student loans, and find some state proposals to pay it forward more exciting, and progressive.
Unfortunately most National dems are pretty weak tea on addressing the problem of forcing young people to start out in life with huge debts. That would include Warren and Sanders.
riderinthestorm
(23,272 posts)FSogol
(45,491 posts)Hi ellen.
Happy to see this in my e.mail today!
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)Katashi_itto
(10,175 posts)jwirr
(39,215 posts)I want them to be able to have something out of this also.