Hillary's Plan to Make College a Debt-free Experience!

Right now is the perfect time to think about real solutions for the current mess that is student debt in this country. There are many avenues you can explore, but I for one believe in Hillary Clinton and her plan for this issue. 

Under Clinton's plan, by 2021, families with an income of less than $125,000 will be able to send their children to and in-state, four-year, public universities at no cost. Even better, if Hillary is elected, families making $85,000 a year or less will immediately be able to send their kids to an in-state, public university for free! Additionally, all community colleges will offer free tuition and $25 billion will be funded to support historically black colleges and universities, and other minority-serving institutions. 

Additionally, Clinton's plan will provide some relief for current students and graduates experiencing difficulty repaying their loans. loan-holders will be able to refinance their loans to the current interest rate. Hillary will also provide loan deferment for up to three years to entrepreneurs - and debt forgiveness of up to $17,500. Clinton will also immediately take executive action to offer a three-month moratorium on student loan payments to all federal loan borrowers - giving borrowers time to consolidate their loans and take advantage of repayments plans that currently exist. 
  
This may not be a perfect plan, but is certainly a step in the right direction. Conversely, Donald Trump has offered no clear plan for alleviating student debt in this country, save for stating that he will create jobs that "can get five times what the minimum wage is". However, Trump does not support increasing the federal minimum wage, and while these hypothetical jobs wants to creates may or may not pay more, this solution only benefits those individuals who can obtain high paying jobs. The solution to this problem is to benefit all borrowers to lower the barrier of entry to higher education. 

CLinton is the best candidate for mutiple reasons, but none less important than her plan to assist borrowers with this serious issue.  

A Brief Explanation of the Student Debt Issue:

A Call to Action!

Student loans have been offered to high school graduates as a reasonable way to afford a college education (something that has become almost a necessity in today's professional world). While the basic premise of these loans seems innocent enough, the rising cost of tuition, books, school supplies, and room and board has left millions of college graduates with an unmanageable amount of school debt. Those individuals who are unable to make their payments are left with few options, especially considering that these loans are not wiped in bankruptcy. Clearly, some legislative reform is necessary in order to minimize the ill effects of these practices. 

Luckily, there is already a push by our current leadership to reform the mess that student loans have created. President Obama has already signed into law regulations that will limit repayment of loans to 10% of the graduate's income, doubles funding for Pell Grants - money that does not have to be repaid, and regulates special-interest private lending companies. Help spread the about these initial steps here by sending a letter to your local paper.

As important as this legislation is, we cannot content ourselves with this progress. It is important that our representatives in Washington hear our concerns and disappointments regarding the student loan crisis. Contact your Senator or Representative and call for action to assist those struggling to manage their debt now and assist future students even further!