TRUMP SHOULD KEEP COLLEGE DEBT PLEDGE, say Robert Weiner, former White House spokesman and policy analyst Ryan Powers.

  WASHINGTON, DC - 05/05/2017 (PRESS RELEASE JET)

Former spokesman for the White House and the House Government Operations Committee, and policy analyst Ryan Powers, assert in an op-ed just released in the San Antonio Express-News that President Trump must follow up on his campaign promises and “prioritize making higher education affordable.” The article was ranked #2 in the nation (H2) by OpedNews when published.

Weiner and Powers assert, “During the election, candidate Donald Trump expressed that he planned to tax wealthy universities that did not use a sizable portion of their endowment to support low-income students. In October, he proposed that borrowers repay no more than 12.5 percent of their annual income over the span of 15 years, forgiving all additional debt.The new administration’s budget proposal has no such plan for higher education.”

Weiner and Powers continue, “On March 29, billionaire Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, tweeted at the president to ask when the Trump administration will address the rising costs of college and student debt. President Trump repeatedly says how proud he is of his Wharton degree. If higher education is the key to success, then growing college expenses are an unavoidable issue the Trump administration must address.”

They point out, “In Texas, only 27.6 percent of residents have an accredited degree from a four-year university. By this standard, the state ranks 29th out of 50 states, according to recent census data. At St. Edward’s University in Austin, tuition for a full-time undergraduate student in fall 2009 totaled $24,040. In fall 2016, this figure sat at $55,800. Next year, it will cost a projected $58,700. For low-income students, a college degree becomes less attainable every year.”

Weiner and Powers add, “The Trump administration’s budget proposal would end the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program, a critical funding aid to low-income students. It would reduce funding for the federal work-study program, which employs hundreds of thousands of students unable to afford the full expenses of college.”

They assert, “As it stands now, the average $28,950 cumulative student loan will end up costing more than $39,900 to repay, according to a study by the Federal Reserve.”

They continued, “The Trump administration plans to fully eliminate aid programs such as AmeriCorps. Many low-income students rely on these programs, including Pell Grants, to pay for higher education. With expenses rising, fewer are attending college. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center found ‘for the fifth straight year … the number of students enrolling in colleges and universities has decreased.’”

Weiner and Powers provide a comparison, “Among 25- to 34-year-olds in the U.S., according to a report by the Russell Sage Foundation, only 43 percent have a four-year degree versus 47 percent in the United Kingdom and 57 percent in Canada.”

They expand, “In the U.K., students who take out loans do not have to pay the money back until they reach an income level of 21,000 pounds per year, or just below $30,000.”

They continue, “In Canada, the most recent budget proposal will allow many low-income graduates to defer student loan payments until their annual income exceeds about $25,000 a year. This year, the Canadian government may alleviate overall college expenses on parents of students denoted as low-income.”

They press on, “In the U.S., Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., introduced a proposal April 3 to support low-income students. The ‘College for All’ bill would allow students from families that make up to $125,000 a year to attend four-year universities tuition-free. Community college would be tuition-free for everyone. The $600 billion proposal would require the federal government to pay 67 percent of tuition subsidies and state governments to pay the remaining.”

They conclude, “When the federal budget and Congress prioritize making higher education affordable, more students will be able to attend college. If low-income students, as Cuban once was, are able to land in four-year colleges, the American dream can be real for many more.”

Robert Weiner is a former spokesman for the Clinton and Bush White House, and the House Government Operations Committee. Ryan Powers is an education policy analyst at Robert Weiner Associates and Solutions for Change.

Link to article: http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/commentary/article/Trump-should-keep-college-debt-pledge-11119307.php/