PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Democratic presidential hopefuls turned their attention Thursday to education, offering an array of policy prescriptions that included expanding tax credits for college expenses and providing universal pre-kindergarten.
At Plymouth State University, front-runner Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton proposed expanding a tax credit for students and their families to make college more affordable, along with $250 million in grants for colleges and universities that develop innovative programs to boost their graduation rates, particularly for low-income and minority students.
Farther south in Manchester, N.H., New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson used a town-hall-style meeting to unveil a $60 billion education plan that he said would provide universal pre-kindergarten programs, scrap No Child Left Behind and make public college free.
And in Darlington, S.C., John Edwards released a plan to improve rural South Carolina schools, where eight poor school districts have sued, challenging the way legislators fund public schools.
Under Edwards’ plan, teachers in poor, rural schools would get a raise of up to $15,000 and pre-kindergarten would be available to all children.
The centerpiece of Clinton’s plan is a proposal to more than double an existing tax credit from $1,650 to $3,500. Students and their families would be able to claim 100 percent of the first $1,000 of college expenses and 50 percent of the next $5,000, Clinton said.
“This tax credit is the heart of my plan because I want to reward people who are trying to do better for themselves,” she said.
The New York senator said there is no guarantee that the United States will remain a great nation with a growing economy if it doesn’t do more to make higher education affordable.
“Higher education has never been more of a financial burden, but in today’s global economy, it’s never been more important,” Clinton said.
Richardson called the education system “broken” and said he would emphasize preventive care for children. Central to that promise is his pledge to scrap No Child Left Behind, President Bush’s education plan that focused on accountability and standards for students and schools.
“Some say fix it, others say tweak it. Sen. Clinton says reform it,” Richardson said. “I also have two words for No Child Left Behind: Scrap it. Scrap it. End it.”
The New Mexico governor said he would pay for the plan by cutting Cold War-era weapons systems, end subsidies to private banks and still have money left over.
Part of Richardson’s plan is to offer two years of public college in exchange for one year of service, such as in the Peace Corps or AmeriCorps; college students would have access to $3.6 billion of free college. Graduates could qualify for up to $24,000 – enough to pay tuition for four years at an average public school.
