This is the first in a planned series of live Q&As with Hillary for America policy advisors that Daily Kos plans to feature in the weeks leading up to the election. Vivek Viswanathan, who focuses on college affordability and student debt for the campaign, graduated with a B.A. in history from Harvard, an M.Phil. in historical studies from the University of Cambridge, and J.D. and M.B.A. degrees from Stanford. —Editors
I’m a policy advisor on the Hillary Clinton campaign who works on Secretary Clinton’s college affordability and student debt proposals as well as other policy areas. Will be around to answer questions about her proposals, so ask away!
Key points of her plan below:
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So that's why, when the primary wrapped up, Secretary Clinton and Sen. Sanders came together to think about the best way forward to ensure that the doors of higher education are available to everyone. Together, they incorporated Secretary Clinton's debt-free approach with Sen. Sanders' free in-state college tuition approach.
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And that is Secretary Clinton's plan today, combining the best of both approaches: a college plan that provides free in-state tuition for students from families with income up to $125,000, more than 80 percent of families, and a pathway to debt-free college for all students, so nobody has to be saddled with debt after going to school.
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As part of this roll-out, she also announced her support for restoring year-round Pell Grant funding. And both Secretary Clinton and Sen. Sanders agree on so many other subjects when it comes to college costs and student debt, from holding our schools accountable for spending to cutting interest rates on student loans to letting borrowers refinance the student debt they already have at lower rates.
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This plan, if enacted, will be the biggest transformation of higher education in decades. And with a college degree more important than ever, it couldn't come soon enough. Secretary Clinton is proud of working with Sen. Sanders to craft it and is proud to have his support, and she looks forward to speaking out about it in the days and weeks ahead.
Please ask questions in the comments and I will be happy to answer them. Thank you!