Biden Extends Moratorium On Federal Student Loan Payments

President Joe Biden has extended the moratorium on student loan payments to May 1, 2022.

With economic factors in flux due, in part, to the omicron variant, the Biden administration has extended the moratorium on federal student loan payments through May 1. The moratorium doesn’t apply to privately held student loans. Continue reading “Biden Extends Moratorium On Federal Student Loan Payments”

Buttigieg Unveils Plan To Make Public College Free For Middle Class Families

Mayor Pete Buttigieg (via Instagram)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg has released his plan to make college education more affordable.  It would tie the price of attending college to a family’s income. Under Mayor Pete’s proposal, public colleges would be free for students whose families earn less than $100,000 per year. Former Vice President Joe Biden has suggested something similar versus the plans of Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders who promise free college for everyone across the board. A sliding scale would come into play for those families whose income lands between $100,000 to $150,000. Families making more than $150,000 would pay full tuition. In his new economic agenda, Buttigieg writes, “Our government can, and should, play a role in setting a level playing field that gives all Americans a chance to succeed.” He adds that “government does need to be a vigorous presence in ensuring that our economy actually works for all.” Buttigieg has previously stated he favors a sliding scale approach because, “I think if you’re a child of a billionaire you can take care of yourself, and you ought to be able to pay some tuition.” Buttigieg’s plan would be financed by raising taxes on the top 1 percent of Americans.

News Round-Up: January 3, 2017

Fitness model Nick Sandell

Some news items you may have missed:

• Nick Sandell wishes you a shirtless Happy Happy New Year!

• Debra Messing says new Will & Grace episodes are not a done deal.

• Only 46% of Americans believe Donald Trump can handle an international crisis versus an average of 71% of his predecessors.

• Janet Jackson gives birth to her first child at 50.

• The Alabama NAACP is holding a sit-in at Sen. Jeff Sessions office until he withdraws his nomination for U.S. Attorney General.

• New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed to offer free tuition at state colleges to hundreds of thousands of middle- and low-income New Yorkers.

• On New Year’s Eve, a federal judge issued an injunction blocking enforcement of federal protections that would have barred those in healthcare services to deny reproductive health services as well as services to transgender people based on “religious beliefs.”

• It’s been 159 days since Donald Trump held a press conference. Back in the summer days of the campaign, he excoriated Hillary Clinton for going 179 days with answering questions from the press. Hypocrisy?

Hillary Clinton Proposes Tuition-Free College For Households Making Less Than $125K

Hillary Clinton

Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has announced she supports waiving tuition at four year public colleges for students whose families make less than $125,000.

The Clinton campaign announced the shift in higher education policy is a result of private meetings with Sen. Bernie Sanders.

For months Clinton has promoted the idea of free community college plus “debt-free” policies which would help students shake off thousands in student loans. During the Democratic primary, she disagreed with the idea of free college for everyone saying, “I don’t think taxpayers should be paying to send Donald Trump’s kids to college.”

The announced policy would be phased in over five years starting with an initial threshold of $85,000 in household income, and expanding to those making less than $125,000 by 2021.

President Obama helps college students

Four years ago Barack Obama promised to make college more affordable.

As president he doubled funding for Pell Grants, reduced student loan payments for millions of borrowers, and capped federal loan repayments at 10% of income.

By cutting out the banks as middlemen which cost the government money, tens of billions of dollars was saved which can now lower interest rates for student loans and make more Pell Grants available.

And it didn’t cost the American taxpayer anything.

Just saying…