I am a retired professor of engineering and a woman. Having spent 35 years teaching in public universities, I have witnessed students struggling to put themselves through college, often the first in their family to do so. They do a phenomenal juggling act, taking 12 credits or more, holding down one or more part time jobs, trying to keep up their GPA and still end up drowning in debt.
The U.S. tops the loan amounts owed by students among developed countries. We are not talking about professional degrees in law or medicine, but a basic bachelor’s or associate’s degree that is necessary for today’s job market. Neither Trump nor the GOP have any plan for making college more affordable. Bernie Sanders was an energetic proponent for making college free and attracted millions of students during his Democratic primary run.
Now, Hillary Clinton, the democratic nominee, has a practical, viable plan to lower the cost of college education for those hurting the most. Her plan focuses on those for whom a college degree is the ticket for going up the economic ladder. Next year, yes that is right, in 2017 families making less than $85,000 would be eligible for free in-state tuition at public universities for their children.
Students and parents take note and make sure you are registered to vote. Vote for Hillary Clinton as your next President and get college debt off your back.
Vasundara Varadan
State College
