A couple of weeks ago, in response to a diary dissecting (and declaring dead) Bernie Sanders’ plan for free college tuition via a piece of legislation he wrote (as opposed to the plan as outlined at his website), I wrote a comment comparing the two candidates’ plans.
They were very similar at the time, which was concurrent with comments denigrating free tuition from Jim Clyburn, who said it would destroy HBCUs, and John Lewis, who said “nothing is free” and that in offering free college tuition we would be failing to teach young people the value of hard work.
The basic attacks on Bernie’s plan in the original diary were that:
it puts too much burden on states. States would have to cover 1/3rd of tuition after a three-year ramp-up period during which they reach a comfortable funding level they’ll have to maintain. it requires students to attend college in their states, it is voluntary so would not be available in every state.Today I saw parts of that original diary as a comment, and to respond, I went back to Hillary’s “Free and Debt Free College” plan.
Only it’s not called that any longer. It is now the “College Compact”.
And it’s changed.
In some ways, it’s basically Bernie’s plan, using different words. But in others, it’s more deserving of that diarist’s attacks. Items in block quotes are from Hillary Clinton’s College Compact.
Students should never have to borrow to pay for tuition, books, and fees to attend a four-year public college in their state under the New College Compact. Pell Grants are not included in the calculation of no-debt-tuition, so Pell recipients will be able to use their grants fully for living expenses. Students at community college will receive free tuition.
The word “free” is studiously avoided for the most part, replaced with “no debt”, but instead of two years of free community college, it now offers four. Four free years of “work-ethic killing” free tuition. There goes Lewis’ objection. Applies only to public colleges in their states. Another objection to Sanders’ plan down.Students will do their part by contributing their earnings from working 10 hours a week.
Families will do their part by making an affordable and realistic family contribution.
So, Pell grants for books and living expenses, students work and parents pay what they can. As to the remainder of tuition? The bulk of the burden is put on the STATES. It is up to the STATES to ensure that students don’t graduate with tuition debt. Yet another objection to Sanders’ plan bites the dust. And this plan is WORSE for the states.States will have to halt disinvestment in higher education, ramp up that investment over time, and work with public colleges and universities to cut costs and increase innovation.
States will be rewarded for ensuring that no student should graduate with debt for tuition – and limiting costs for non-tuition expenses. Pell Grants are not included in the calculation of no-debt-tuition, so Pell recipients will be able to use their grants fully for living expenses. The formula for the grant is not specified, so we don’t even know the percentage of tuition the states will be required to cover. One-third? Two-thirds? Three-quarters? The size of federal investment for each state meeting the compact will depend on the number of in-state students enrolled in public colleges and universities, with higher grant amounts for low- and middle-income students. The plan is voluntary on a state-by-state basis. There goes another objection to Sanders’ plan. And they have to use any grant funds for instruction and learning, so all other expenses have to be raised through means other than tuition/federal grant match. States that commit to the compact will work with colleges and universities and distribute funds to meet these guarantees by lowering the cost of college on their campuses, ensuring that all funds received will be applied to instruction and learning, and improving the prospects for completion. States will be allowed a ramp-up period in which they can receive a portion of funds while adapting their levels of support and cost structure to meet this goal. Hmm, where have I heard about a ramp up period? Oh, yeah, from Bernie Sanders’ terrible, awful, no good bill.Hillary Clinton’s plan is half the size of Bernie Sanders’ plan, and is further divided to other uses, so the government’s share of tuition (grants to the states) is likely to be pretty low.
This is an intersection of reasons why I have trouble supporting Hillary Clinton.
Sanders’ plan for free tuition was gaining traction among young voters. She issues a “debt-free” plan that doesn’t specify exactly how tuition will be “debt-free”, i.e., who is paying for it. Her supporters lap it up, since they haven’t really demanded details from her on much of anything she’s proposed. She trots out her surrogates to attack the idea of “free tuition” and “free community college” that will destroy HBCUs She quietly ADDS to her plan the elements she’s been denigrating about Sanders’ plan, and removes the word “free” as much as possible. With her quiet revisions, she blindsides her supporters by putting the burden squarely on the states, who are already reeling and trying to make cuts and raise tuition, with unspecified percent back in federal grant funds. Since it is voluntary, how many states will actually sign on for a chance to get partial reimbursement?So basically she attacked Sanders plan before a core audience and using the voices of well-respected leaders, reaped the benefit of dampened enthusiasm of young voters, then co-opted those items she just attacked, and dumped the entire thing on the states, effectively killing it in its crib. One of her supporters here repeated the attacks on Sanders’ plan today, not even realizing all of those issues — a week later — now apply to her plan as well.
She is all things to all people. She won’t promise a free ride, because we all know how much “free government stuff” is bad for people! But you’ll be debt free because the states will pay for it! (How is that not free?) Only the states won’t pay for it, so we don’t really have to worry about that free government stuff ruining our kids’ work ethic.
A great combination of Rovian attacks, misleading surrogate statements, Luntz word play (“debt-free” still had “free” in it, and we’re attacking “free” stuff so now now it’s “College Compact”), and total bait and switch of policies after Super Tuesday’s votes are counted. If she gets the nomination, she’ll probably replace it with a promise to tell states to “Cut out charging expensive tuition!”
If this is how she runs for the nomination, how do we know what we’re getting once she’s in office?