Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Sherrod Brown Among Democrats Pushing Debt-Free College Bill

J. Scott Applewhite
/
Associated Press

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) is pushing for a bill that would give states incentives to help students graduate from college debt-free.

Brown is co-sponsoring the "Debt-Free College Act," which would offer states more federal funding for their public universities if they spend more money helping eliminate college costs for students. The funds would be matched dollar for dollar.

Brown said he thinks more money should be prioritized for legislation like this, rather than for tax breaks.

“The conservative viewpoint always is, ‘Well, we cut taxes on rich people,' and then when we want to do something for middle class or working class kids, or poor kids, then you got to pay for it," he said. "Well, I just reject that out of hand.”

Brown also said he plans to introduce a bill later this week that would allow students to refinance their loans to the current borrowing rate.

The "Debt-Free College Act" has been proposed previously but never passed.

Copyright 2019 WOSU 89.7 NPR News

Anna Huntsman is a senior broadcast journalism student at Kent State with experience reporting for radio, television and digital platforms. She reports for the Ohio News Connection, Ohio's branch of the Public News Service, and helps run the weekend assignment desk at WKYC. Anna served as the General Manager of TV2, Kent State's student-led television station, during the 2017-18 school year. A Canton native, she is excited to join the WKSU team and tell stories in the Northeast Ohio community.