Clinton campaign says free tuition plan would benefit 230K in Pa., N.J. and Del.
More than 230,000 residents in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware would pay no tuition for a four-year public college, according to details of Hillary Clinton's higher education plan released by her campaign Monday.
More than 230,000 residents in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware would pay no tuition for a four-year public college, according to details of Hillary Clinton's higher education plan released by her campaign Monday.
The bulk, 141,000, are in Pennsylvania, while 84,000 are in New Jersey and 7,000 in Delaware.
In July, Clinton announced a plan to make college tuition-free at four-year public universities and community colleges for families earning up to $125,000 by 2021. In the first year of the plan, families earning less than $85,000 would qualify for the tuition aid.
According to the campaign, by 2021, 86 percent of Pennsylvania households would be eligible for the aid, each saving up to $53,560. In Delaware, 83 percent of households would qualify, saving up to $46,720, and in New Jersey, 74 percent, saving up to $53,200.
The plan would cost $350 billion over 10 years, the campaign estimates, and would be paid for "by limiting certain tax expenditures for high-income taxpayers."
The campaign released a college cost calculator - https://www.hillaryclinton.com/calculator - to allow families to see how much they would save.
Clinton's plan has faced criticism for vagueness on how it would be funded, and for the negative impact it could have on some small private colleges already struggling to survive. Some also question whether state colleges have the capacity to accommodate a likely increase in student enrollment and whether the plan would drive up tuition costs for those who are required to pay.
The plan would likely face an uphill battle to be approved. Conservatives in Congress have been reluctant to fund free-tuition plans. President Obama's proposal to make community college free went nowhere after he unveiled it with fanfare a year and a half ago.
Under Clinton's proposal, states would be required to contribute matching funds if they wanted federal support. Many states, including Pennsylvania, have cut or frozen higher-education funding in recent years.
Bernie Sanders made free college a rallying cry during his presidential campaign, attracting support from many students. Clinton met with Sanders in June and the two strategized on how to keep college costs at the forefront of the general election debate.
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