Clinton details college aid plan

Representatives from Sen. Hillary Clinton’s campaign released some of the details of her higher-education plan last week.

The plan will be targeted at making higher education more affordable for middle-class families and creating greater economic opportunities for college graduates, said Neera Tandon, a policy adviser for the Clinton campaign.

The cornerstone of the plan, a $3,500 partially refundable tax credit, is designed to help cover rising tuition costs.

Other features of the plan include increased funding for Pell grants, increases in AmeriCorps scholarships, strengthened initiatives for universities to accept community college transfer students, incentives for top-level universities to recruit and retain low-income students, and plans to simplify the process of applying for financial aid, said Catherine Brown, a senior member of the Clinton campaign.

But, while some students feel the plan is a step in making college more accessible, others are concerned that the new education plan will create a one-size-fits-all solution to higher-education issues and present fewer choices for students going to college.

The plan focuses on making higher education more affordable for middle-income families who are struggling to pay for college because of increasing cost of living and stagnant wages, Tandon said.

Approximately 25 percent of college students leave during or after their first year because their families cannot afford it, Brown said.

This trend could have a long term effect on the economy, with fewer students finishing college and many students graduating with large amounts of debt, Tandon said.

“What you earn really depends on what you learn. So many people start college and leave because of cost; that’s obviously a problem for American families but also the economy,” Tandon said.

To help minimize the debt students do graduate with, the plan would ease the process of applying for federal loans and grants.

The plan would effectively do away with the current Free Application for Federal Student Aid and instead create a checklist on tax returns. Students would then receive a coupon in the mail that they could then attach to their college application.

Kyle Kleckner, president of the Bruin Democrats, said he believes Clinton’s plan is a positive step in making higher education more accessible.

Kleckner said he believes increasing Pell grant funding and creating incentives to help low-income students attend expensive private universities is a brilliant idea and could ultimately lead to more diversity.

“Do I think this is completely perfect? Not yet. Do I think that they’re on their way to making it perfect? I think so,” he said.

But David Lazar, chairman of the Bruin Republicans and former Daily Bruin Viewpoint columnist, said he is not convinced that the plan will actually be effective and that such changes in federal aid may actually limit the kinds of choices students can make regarding financial aid.

With tuition costs steadily rising, Lazar said he doubts a $3,500 tax credit will have any real effect in making higher education more affordable, and he said increased federal aid may only affect a small portion of those students who need financial aid.

Lazar said he believes tax incentives and public funds will only apply to a small portion of students struggling to pay for college.

“The public sector is a relatively small section of society, and it’s not going to raise affordability across the board,” he said.

Instead, Lazar says students should have greater access to private loans, which would offer a more diverse set of options to cater to students’ individual needs.

“Educational choice is an individual choice, and there should be more options and opportunities in a policy,” he said.

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