Tag: free college

Commentary: Biden Using Backdoor Rule to Pass Free College Agenda

RealClearWire

Americans by and large oppose giveaways to the affluent or privileged, which explains why they consistently oppose forgiving college student-loan debt. Eighty percent of Americans have no student loan debt, and those who carry debt are disproportionately millennials with advanced degrees – and higher earning potential. Easy loan forgiveness falls under the umbrella of the free college agenda championed by most Democrats, but strong opposition led the Biden administration to drop free college from the spending bill it proposed last month.

Not to worry: Democrats discovered a backdoor to free college through an obscure and arcane Department of Education (DOE) rule. Known as Borrower Defense to Repayment (BDR), the rule existed as little more than a formality in the annals of the Federal Register, a stopgap to finalize the Federal Direct Loan Program. Through the first twenty years of its existence, it was implemented just five times, but it has now evolved into a battering ram for Democrats to get free college through the political barricades.

In 2015, Corinthian Colleges, which enrolled over 100,000 students at its 100 subsidiary campuses, filed for bankruptcy. The school’s collapse coincided with growing momentum for the “cancel college debt” and “free college” campaigns, which had evolved out of the Occupy Wall Street movement of the early 2010s and found friendly supporters in Congress, such as Senators Elizabeth Warren and Dick Durbin.

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Biden Promotes ‘Free’ Community College for Americans, ‘Dreamers’

The Center Square

President Joe Biden touted a key part of his education initiative Monday, pushing for two years of free community college nationwide, but some critics question the long-term efficacy of his plan.

Biden spoke at Tidewater Community College in Norfolk, Virginia, to promote his proposal, which would provide, among other things, $109 billion for two years of tuition-free community college.

“Do we want to give the wealthiest people in America another tax cut, or do you want to give every high school graduate the ability to earn a community college degree?” Biden asked during his speech, arguing that 12 years of schooling is not long enough in the modern economy. “That’s why the American Families Plan guarantees four additional years of public education for every person in America – two years of universal, high-quality pre-school and two years of free community college.”

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New York to Spend Millions Putting Dreamers Through College

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by Jason Hopkins   New York state lawmakers approved a measure that aims to dole out millions in taxpayer-funded aid to Dreamers — who entered the country illegally — attending college. The now-Democratic controlled New York state legislature on Wednesday passed the Dream Act, legislation that would make thousands of Dreamers eligible for financial aid to attend public colleges in the state. The bill, which has attracted praise from Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, would cost $27 million. The measure is “a slap in the face for all the hardworking taxpayers who play the rules and struggle for the costs of a college education,” Republican state Sen. Daphne Jordan said of the bill. Jordan was joined by other Republican state legislators in criticism of the Dream Act, who argued it would unfairly take money away from legal residents who struggle to pay their college tuition. The bill had been introduced in the New York legislature before, but Republican control of the state Senate had prevented it from moving forward — until Democrats gained control of both chamber after the 2018 midterms. “We do this as a symbol that you will be guaranteed an education and that the door to…

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Metro Nashville Promises to Pay For Non-Tuition Expenses For Select Technical, Community College Students

Jason M. Reynolds

Nashville is launching a new scholarship to make higher education completely free for some students, Nashville Public Radio says. Nashville GRAD — or Getting Results by Advancing Degrees is one of the first local government efforts in the nation to target non-tuition expenses, and it will help students at two colleges in Nashville beginning fall 2019. Those colleges are Nashville State Community College (NSCC) and TCAT-Nashville, NewsChannel 5 said. The program will work with Tennessee Promise for graduating high school seniors and Tennessee Reconnect for adults, both of which waive tuition for community and technical schools, NPR said. A recent study by the Tennessee nonprofit Complete Tennessee found even though tuition is covered through these programs, many low-income students still struggle to complete their degrees because they can’t afford textbooks, transportation and certifications, says Indira Dammu, education policy advisor for Nashville Mayor David Briley. Reports conflict on when the program will begin. NewsChannel 5 said Fall 2019. The mayor’s office says Spring 2019. The program will be handled through a fund that will include an annual commitment from Metro Government and, at full implementation, will serve more than 3,000 students annually, NewsChannel 5 said. Briley committed to including up to $1…

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Brown University Offers ‘Tuition-Free’ Master’s Degree to DACA Recipients

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by Chrissy Clark   Brown University plans to offer “tuition-free” master’s degree programs to beneficiaries of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals if the federal government ends the Obama administration protections. DACA, an executive action implemented by then-President Barack Obama, authorized renewable two-year deferrals of deportation along with eligibility for work permits for illegal immigrants brought to this country as children. President Donald Trump sought to phase out the program and asked Congress to decide by law what to do about the roughly 800,000 DACA recipients and others like them. “Should DACA be eliminated, we will create in-school and postgraduate opportunities for students unable to work legally to engage in stipend-supported research and education that is not citizenship-dependent,” Richard Locke, Brown University’s provost, said in a statement published on Today@Brown. The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution.  Find out more >> In the same post, Locke announced that the private Ivy League university in Providence, Rhode Island, will offer tuition-free, fifth-year master’s programs for eligible 2018 graduates. “Admitted students would receive a stipend and health insurance,” he said. Brown also offers to cover the $495 DACA renewal fee, “if renewal is an option,” as…

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