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How Clinton’s Free College Tuition Plan Will Hurt Millennials
Townhall.com ^ | September 1, 2016 | Justin Haskins

Posted on 09/01/2016 1:25:33 PM PDT by Kaslin

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is doubling-down on her plan to socialize higher education as a way to help lower- and middle-income Americans, and she says her proposals will help Millennials improve their economic outlook.

These promises couldn’t be further from the truth, which is her plan would actually leave many young people worse off than ever and would greatly hinder their ability to compete with others in the job marketplace over the next decade.

Clinton, citing the growing student lending debt crisis, has promised to institute several reforms to the current student loan market, if elected. Perhaps the most significant is her proposal to create a debt-free public education system. According to Clinton’s campaign website, “By 2021, families with income up to $125,000 will pay no tuition at in-state four-year public colleges and universities. And from the beginning, every student from a family making $85,000 a year or less will be able to go to an in-state four-year public college or university without paying tuition.”

Clinton also promises to give $25 billion to “support historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, and other minority-serving institutions,” and she wants to make all community colleges across the country tuition-free.

Many have argued these policies, which amount to nothing less than a near-total takeover of U.S. higher education, will provide significant aid to Millennials, who have been burdened with skyrocketing tuition costs and college debt for more than a decade. Currently, 43 million Americans owe about $1.3 trillion in student loan debt, and the average graduate today owes $37,172, which does not include the debt held by parents.

On the surface, these proposals seem to be a massive giveaway to young Americans, but before Millennial voters buy into Clinton’s free-college bonanza, they should remember Clinton’s plan is focused on helping those just entering college, not those who are already in college and especially not those who have just graduated. Instead of being aided by these policies, Millennials already carrying debt will be at a massive disadvantage compared to current high school students.

If millions of current high school students are able to attend public colleges for absolutely nothing, they’ll have virtually no debt by the time they leave college and enter the workforce, which means they’ll be able to work for a much lower wage than those who already have debt now. Why would an employer rather hire a young person with mountains of debt when it could hire someone dealing with far less financial pressure, and thus less of a need to demand a greater salary?

Further, Clinton’s plan will cost hundreds of billions of dollars, at the very least, and those Millennials already in the workforce will almost certainly have to carry a portion of the tax burden—all to help pay the college expenses of students who they will soon have to compete against in the labor marketplace.

Clinton does also promise some reforms that are aimed at helping people who are already carrying student loan debt. For instance, borrowers would be allowed to refinance their loans at current rates—which only helps if rates remain at historically low levels; delinquent borrowers and those who have defaulted on their loans “will get help”—whatever that means; and “entrepreneurs will be able to defer their loans with no payments or interest for up to three years.”

While these proposals, as well as several other similar policies Clinton is offering, could arguably provide some benefits, they ultimately amount to a tiny drop in the bucket compared to the advantages being given to those who haven’t entered college yet, and they do nothing to help offset the disadvantages so many Millennials will face when competing for jobs against students graduating with no debt.

Clinton spends a great deal of time talking about the need to impose what she perceives to be equality and fairness on the U.S. economy, but what is “fair” or “equal” about giving some students a gigantic economic advantage over those who have already paid tens of thousands of dollars—or will soon—toward their college education?


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: clinton; education; hillaryrottenclinton; millenials

1 posted on 09/01/2016 1:25:33 PM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

Another big-government, progressive-left power-grab - funded by our totally fiat currency, massive debt manipulated by the Federal Reserve.

Fix our currency, by taking it out of the hands of bankers and politicians - and the left will immediately die.

Otherwise, conservatives will continue to lose in politics and culture.


2 posted on 09/01/2016 1:29:36 PM PDT by PGR88
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To: Kaslin

They are too young and stupid to realize that whatever she “gives them for frss,” they wil pay for the rest of their lives!


3 posted on 09/01/2016 1:34:03 PM PDT by lonestar (Texan for Trump)
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To: Kaslin

“If millions of current high school students are able to attend public colleges for absolutely nothing, they’ll have virtually no debt by the time they leave college and enter the workforce, which means they’ll be able to work for a much lower wage than those who already have debt now. Why would an employer rather hire a young person with mountains of debt when it could hire someone dealing with far less financial pressure, and thus less of a need to demand a greater salary?

Further, Clinton’s plan will cost hundreds of billions of dollars, at the very least, and those Millennials already in the workforce will almost certainly have to carry a portion of the tax burden—all to help pay the college expenses of students who they will soon have to compete against in the labor marketplace.”


Nothing like interfering in the workings of the marketplace. Frankly, tuition has for decades been artificially high at ALL colleges and universities, simply because of all of the government grants and loans - the more expensive education is, the greater the clamoring for “help.” ALL institutions of higher learning are guilty of collusion and monopolistic pricing, but government is not only NOT doing anything about it, government is the cause and the continued reason for it.

Cut student aid to a minimum, and watch tuition drop like a stone. Further, watch employment among a bunch of useless, book-smart uber-liberals and Leftists (otherwise known as college professors) skyrocket. What’s not to like about that?


4 posted on 09/01/2016 1:38:47 PM PDT by Ancesthntr ("The right to buy weapons the right to be free." A. E. van Vogt)
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To: Kaslin

A repeating Democrat theme: Socialism creates a problem that can only be solved by more socialism.


5 posted on 09/01/2016 1:40:38 PM PDT by BlueStateRightist (Government is best which governs least.)
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To: Kaslin

>Clinton also promises to give $25 billion to “support historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, and other minority-serving institutions,” and she wants to make all community colleges across the country tuition-free.

Racist beyoch. Just what America needs - blm and SJW graduates with the mentality of islam. I’ll take civil war over being governed by retards like this.


6 posted on 09/01/2016 1:41:42 PM PDT by soycd
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To: Kaslin

Nothing in the world is ‘free.’

clinton simply plans to bill John Q. Public for the education of others.


7 posted on 09/01/2016 1:48:50 PM PDT by Jack Hammer
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To: Kaslin
...those Millennials already in the workforce will almost certainly have to carry a portion of the tax burden ...

They can just go back to college.

8 posted on 09/01/2016 2:07:32 PM PDT by TigersEye (~Putin made me post this!~)
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To: Kaslin

By making it “free” the government gets to tell colleges what to do, who to admit, who to promote, how much of Whitey’s money to take, etc. It’s about control.


9 posted on 09/01/2016 2:08:19 PM PDT by I want the USA back (The media is acting full-on as the Democratic Party's press agency now: Robert Spencer)
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To: Kaslin

It needs to be re-named “Free-For-Now College Tuition”....bill will come due to them very very soon


10 posted on 09/01/2016 2:44:46 PM PDT by Be Careful
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To: Kaslin

What percentage goes to hitmen?


11 posted on 09/01/2016 3:11:54 PM PDT by Paleo Conservative (Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not really out to get you.)
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To: Kaslin

College doesn’t need to be free. It needs the government to stop subsidizing it.

Without the subprime, garbage loans, Academia will have to shed all the useless agitprop and actually perform and tuition will drop.


12 posted on 09/01/2016 5:53:57 PM PDT by Shadow44
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To: Kaslin
How Clinton’s Free College Tuition Plan Will Hurt Millennials


Free pre-'school' on the front end; free 'college' on the back end!


Hitler probably wishes he'd thought THIS up; instead of his 'youth' program!


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitler_Youth

13 posted on 09/02/2016 4:49:17 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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