Federal Issues - Election Update

Federal Issues - Election Update

With less than a week to go before the election, most of us probably can’t wait for it to be over. Every election is important and it is important that everyone exercise their constitutional right by taking the time to vote. Sometimes it is hard to know who to vote for; the media tends to focus on the personal tit-for-tat that goes on between the candidates instead of spending the time going over the issues and the stance of each candidate on those issues. So to save you some time, below is a summary of each presidential candidate’s stance on higher education and college affordability. This is not an endorsement of one candidate over another but a summary of their position as stated on their web sites.

Clinton wants families with income up to $125,000 to pay no tuition at in-state public four year colleges and universities and all community colleges will offer free tuition. All borrowers will be able to refinance loans at current rates. She also wants to help those in default protect their credit and cut interest rates on student loans. Clinton wants to develop a payroll deduction portal for employers and employees to simplify the repayment process of student loans. Aspiring entrepreneurs will be able to defer their loans with no payment or interest up to 3 years. Lastly, Clinton will use executive action to offer a 3-month moratorium on all federal student loan payments.

Trump wants to work with Congress on reforms to ensure universities are making a good faith effort to reduce the cost of college and student debt in exchange for the federal tax breaks and tax dollars. He wants to ensure that the opportunity to attend a two or four-year college, or to pursue a trade or a skill set through vocational and technical education will be easier to access, pay for, and finish. Most of Trump’s plan for education focuses on school choice at the K-12 level.

I would encourage each of you to look into the positions of each candidate when deciding who to vote for come Tuesday and to make every effort to get out and cast your vote.

Brian Weingart

MASFAA Federal Issues Chair