Off To College: Sanders’ Plan for Higher Education
Bernie Sanders’ college plan has become a hot topic in his campaign. His plan to provide free college, paid for by imposing a tax on Wall Street speculators, has often been criticized. Is this proposal the only reason he has the attention of young voters? Will the plan actually work? What do his competitors have to say about it?
Hillary Clinton held a town hall meeting at New England College Saturday, and she immediately disclosed that she would not be giving a speech, but instead opening up the floor to questions. One of the questions Clinton fielded was on her college plan — titled the New College Compact — which proposes debt-free college, as opposed to free college. Clinton claimed that “…free college is a mistake,” not-so-subtly referring to her competitor Senator Sanders. Her plan is to provide free two-year college. While this is better than the current higher education system, it does not go as far as Senator Sanders. She subsequently used the argument in critique of Sanders’ proposal that she doesn’t want to pay for Donald Trump’s children to go to college.
At a field office in New Hampshire, Joni Brennan, a Sanders supporter who came up from New Jersey to help canvas and phone-bank, gave her two-cents on Sanders. Upon reflection, Brennan says that she became much more politically active because of Sanders and his passion and genuineness for what he is doing. When asked why she specifically supported Sanders, Brennan immediately began a tangent on Sanders college plan. Brennan is a cardiac ultrasound technician and is currently putting two kids through college. She believes that Sanders plan could immensely help her children, and college students in the future.
Two University of Southern Florida students, Kendeall Legac and Richie Marini, believe that Sanders college plan is a fantastic idea, “It’s awesome,” Marini said, “even if we’re not providing the immediate solution, we’re starting the conversation”.
Even if Sanders does not ultimately garner the nomination, Marini’s final point is of crucial significance. At the very least, he and his followers are starting the conversation.
