Senator Kerry’s four-point plan to make college more affordable

[ProSense]

Article Launched: 09/03/2006 06:32:23 AM EDT

Making college more affordable

The Lowell Sun

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According to an analysis released last month by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education, more than two-thirds of families in Massachusetts last year still required approximately $6,300 beyond financial aid to afford a college education. Faced with such a hardship, many students drop out, saying the costs are too steep. Those who do complete their degrees are often saddled with thousands of dollars in student loans, which can take years, often decades, to pay off.

A college education means more than ever in today's economy, yet the administration in Washington, which promised to leave no child behind, has done nothing to make college more affordable for young people. In fact, President Bush recently broke his famous 1999 promise to veto any tax increase by signing into law a tax cut bill which triples the tax rates for teenagers with college savings funds. The wealthiest Americans once again received a fat check in the mail courtesy of the federal government, while students who scrimped and saved for college are picking up the taxpaying slack. That's not leadership. That's failure on the part of a president who is out of touch and out of credibility.

While the government continues to spend billions of dollars on the war in Iraq and tax cuts for the ultra-rich, the average student loan debt is approaching $20,000 and the loan interest rate has reached a six-year high. It is time for us to have the courage to stand up and say that it should be a right -- not a privilege -- to have access to a four-year college education. For America to compete and win in the global economy, we need an educated, skillful workforce ready to meet the demands of the 21st century.

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There's a lot of rhetoric on this subject from politicians of every stripe, but few solutions. That's why I've proposed a four-point plan to put college within reach for every American family.

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Sen. John Kerry has represented Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate since 1984.

Full article also posted http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=4072#more-4072">here

Outline of Senator Kerry's plan:

First, the government must help at-risk students prepare for college...The government should create "I Have a Dream" scholarships which would provide $1,000 for students to participate in an early intervention program to help prepare them for college.

Second, the government should help students pay for college by creating the "College Opportunity Tax Credit" program...would provide a tax credit for the first $4,000 paid in tuition for every year of college. Students who give back to their community would be rewarded under the "Service for College" program.

Third, the government must also help ensure that students remain enrolled and graduate from college. The "State Tax Relief and Education Fund” would provide fiscal relief to cash-strapped states to stop tuition increases and higher education budget cuts.

Fourth, it's time to renew America's sense of service and offer young people an unbeatable deal. It's as simple as this: If you promise to serve for two years in one of America's toughest and most important jobs, like day-care providers or teachers in low-income communities, the government will cover four years of tuition at a typical public university.

[panader0]

1. I have three kids, two thirteen and one fifteen.

I spoke to a friend the other day, his son attends Gonzaga at the cost of $27,000 a year. That's $324,000 for my kids for four years. That's 'way more than everything I own is worth. My kids are bright, on the honor roll, advanced band, all sports etc., but their chance of going to a top college are slim.

[VAMom]

2. Well, maybe not...

I used to be real worried about college for my 2 girls. But once they started applying and the scholarship offers started coming in, I could have kicked myself for all the sleep I lost.

They have not been offered need-based scholarships, but merit based. My younger is a junior and has already been offered -- tentatively, based on her junior grades--significant scholarships at 6 different schools and 3 (including the college of her choice) told her she would be in discussion for a full ride. This is a school that cost $35,000 a year. At a minimum, she would get $25,000, based on her grades--all renewable

I saw that over and over with my older daughter and she didn't even have great HS grades--okay, but not great

So, just tell them to do their absolute best, get some extra curricular activities and volunteer hours at their favorite charity and you will be shocked at how much money they will be offered.

Hope i told you something that eases your worry.

[sandnsea]

3. Mine got absolutely nothing

I didn't get anything either and I had a 3.8 GPA. My sisters didn't get anything either and they also had high GPA's. So I don't know what magic you used for your kids, but it doesn't work for everybody.

[VAMom]

10. I don't know what magic I used....

My one applied to a variety of schools, both public and private and when the acceptance letters came back from the private schools, they came back with financial aid offerings. We did not even ask for them, they just came.

Now with the public schools, she had to actually apply for scholarships and she did get a little offered to her. But she decided to go with a private college instead. Her financial aid will go up every year if her grades stay high.

It's not like she got this from one or two schools---it was in the double digits! She applied to almost 20 schools, and probably got letters from 12 or maybe 13.

Now she did apply to a whole lot of Div II's and Div III's, so I don't know if that was the ticket.

My younger has a number one ranking right now and loads of extra curriculars, so we are actually interviewing with schools and being very, very specific with financial award questions.

I wish I could tell you that I did step one and then step two, but the award packages just came in the mail

[sandnsea]

15. I'm thrilled for your girls

Maybe their school counselors knew which schools gave away the most money, or maybe your school has a reputation with certain colleges, maybe it's the education track they chose, I don't know. It just doesn't happen that way for everybody is all I was trying to say. My niece was a straight A student her entire life, and she was offered 1 scholarship so that's where she went. I wish whatever it is, colleges would let a few more people in on the secret.

[midnight]

18. I think the Div II and Div III might be the reason.

I was reading with encouragement till I saw the Div. Congrats for you.

[karynnj]

21. You, your daughter, and her school did a great job on the applications

Judging from my daughters and their friends, most did not get anywhere near that in grants. One of my daughter's best friends at college just took a leave of absense after completing her sophomore year to work for a year because the family's finances changed and they couldn't afford tuition. (It's not all bad, she got a job in the field she wants to in as an aide. So, if after a year of working, she goes back, she will be more comfident in her choice of major and will have invaluable real insight into what she is learning. If she took a leave for thhose reasons, it would be great, it's hard that it was because there was no solution finacially.) I don't know anything about her grades.

[Igel]

4. I'd rather see (4) worded a bit differently.

"... will cover the equivalent of four years' tuition at a typical public university."

A lot of kids get partial scholarships/grants, and there's no reason for them to have to choose between a $40k pricetag at a private school versus a reimbursed $40k pricetag at a public school.

Tuition reimbursements should also be available for any kid going into a field for which H-visas are now routinely issued, parallel to Title VI for languages.

[saltpoint]

5. That plan would be very dangerous for America.

To begin with, helping young people prepare for college would involve parental and community support for the noble goal of education generally, and would suggest that the long-term health of a community or nation is dependent upon its early investments in young people's learning.

As well, it draws uncomfortable comparisons with the democracy-bringing occupation of a sovereign nation like Iraq, which is expensive to undertake and maintain. For Kerry to harp on education as a preferred priority requires that American citizens re-evaluate their commitment to government-led violence and instead, shift social and economic priorities to educational democracy and economic democracy. And that would be very likely to result in a greater number of people with improved educations and its attendant benefits in hiring and income and so forth. The strain this would put on the tiny percentage of Bush's filthy-rich oil buddies would be unthinkable, and worse yet, it would strengthen the middle class.

Last, the entire proposal has grievous philosophical landmines built into it that could go off in a generation's time or less, and which would be characterized by heightened individual responsibility and citizenship, a greater connection to the traditions our country carries into the future from our Founders, and an inexcusable volatility in political life as a consequence of sharpened critical thinking.

In short, Kerry's plan would improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, resulting in a stronger America made up of motivated, invested individuals in critically-aware communities who demand a brighter future for young people.

Needless to say, this would fly in the face of the programs, goals and philosophy the Bush administration has set in place for the last 6 years, and should be roundly condemned. It would be an outrageous and unforgivable affront to those programs and goals.

Kerry should apologize on his knees to President Bush and his rich friends immediately, and to the American people generally, for putting before them an ambitious proposal that would require such a dramatic shift in the social paradigm.

[MH1]

6. You are so right on this one.

:thumbsup:

Edit to add:

;-)

[saltpoint]

7. Hi there, MH1. Nice to see you this afternoon, and

Happy Labor Day, too.

:thumbsup:

:hi:

:dem:

[MH1]

9. Hi there OC!

Always a pleasure to read your insightful posts. Happy Labor Day to you as well!

:hi:

[rosesaylavee]

8. Yeah, it would be

a bloody nightmare - an intelligent electorate?!! Can't have that. :)

[saltpoint]

11. Yep. Out of the question. Next thing ya know, they'd be demanding

higher standards for elected officials.

[rosesaylavee]

19. Demanding that they answer

questions directly - not with non sequitors. Heck. Everyone would know what non sequitors were! A veritable nightmare!

[_dynamicdems]

13. It's more difficult to herd educated sheep. n/t

[globalvillage]

12. I heard him mention something very similar during the campaign.

I took the kids to see him speak in Ohio, and when he mentioned what's basically #4, my daughter's boyfriend's eyes lit up. "Heck, I'd do that!"
It was the high point of the speech for him.

So, I agree with OC. Horrible idea. Educating our youth and allowing them an opportunity to repay their education by giving back to the community? pfffffttt.

[_dynamicdems]

14. It's in "Our Plan for America" and it was mostly ignored in 2004.

People were sidetracked by orange terror alerts. The real terror is going to come when their kids reach college age.

[Psephos]

16. The missing Fifth Point

5. Root out the real reasons for constant tuition increases at US universities and colleges. Increases have averaged triple the rate of inflation for more than fifteen years running.

Hint: the money does not go for improved education.

Peace.

[Yupster]

17. My question too

College tuition has gone up at double the inflation rate for twenty years now.

Why?

None of these points address why the costs have sky-rocketed so badly. They all just pay the extra costs.

People working at colleges? Why have costs gone up so much? I know it's not going to the professors. They aren't getting incredible raises. So where's the money going.

[Stand and Fight]

20. Recommended.

I know every time I read one of these stories why I keep my Kerry-Edwards '04 sticker on my car... KICK!

[Snivi Yllom]

22. question, do you get paid working at these teaching jobs

Or is it indentured servitude?

[LiberalEsto]

23. We need to lower interest on existing loans

One of my daughters owes more than $40,000. She's trying to finish the last 8 credits for her BA through CLEP exams, while working as a waitress.

As a result, I'm stuck paying the loans for now -- because they won't let you defer loans unless you're actually attending classes. It comes to over $440 a month, and it's financially killing us.

She can't afford to take any more classes -- she's doing distance learning through Thomas A. Edison State College of NJ.

Even with a BA, I don't know how she's going to manage those huge monthly payments. I wish there were some national service options that made it possible to work off seriously large student loan debt. The token $4,500 offered by Americorps, Vista, etc. are a drop in the bucket.

They need to reduce student loan interest to 3 or 4% and provide options to pay off larger amounts through national service.

[wisteria]

24. Senator Kerry makes some excellent points.

Collage should be made more affordable for everyone. I also like the idea of community service in exchange for paid college tuition.