Although education policy may not be considered a focal point of the presidential election so far, that has not meant that either candidate has been without some sort of education platform — or that Ohio University's more politically active students have not been paying attention to such policy issues.
That may be especially true for those who fall into the roughly 37 percent of U.S. households headed by an adult younger than 40 that have some form of student debt, according to a report from Pew Research Center in 2014.
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has said that if elected, borrowers would be able to refinance student loans at current rates and would never have to pay back more than 10 percent of their income, according to her website. Additionally, under a Clinton presidency, she has said that all remaining college debt would be forgiven after 20 years. Clinton’s website also states she would encourage employers to help pay down student debt and that she would significantly cut interest rates on student loans.
“I think (loan forgiveness) is a really crucial part that a lot of people look over,” Sam Miller, president of OU College Democrats, said. “We have a lot of student debt, but the interest rates that we’re locked in paying are going to hurt us way more.”
However, Richard Vedder, distinguished professor of economics emeritus at OU, pointed out a few flaws in Clinton’s plan.
“The minute we start forgiving loans or letting kids not pay interest on their loans, all we’re doing is encouraging future generations of students to borrow from the federal government,” he said.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said that if elected, he would work with Congress to reduce the level of student debt, while also ensuring that the opportunity to attend a two- or four-year college would become easier for students to access, pay for and finish, according to his website.
Clinton would also like to make tuition at community colleges free, according to her website, though some believe that could lead to general taxpayers subsidizing the education of those who could afford to pay for college tuition on their own.
“I think the idea of free tuition ... is a bad idea,” Vedder said.
Trump has not yet announced any support for debt-free college. Instead, in an interview with Inside Higher Ed in May, his campaign manager Sam Clovis called Clinton's proposal “absurd on the surface.”
Of course, education policy stems past public universities and colleges.
For K-12 education, Clinton has said she would like to offer more computer science classes, rebuild inner-city schools and dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline — a term used to describe a system in which students go directly from school to juvenile and criminal justice systems.
“It’s very clear that she understands that the current split between where students are located has a real effect on the kind of education they’re getting,” Miller said. “I think her plan really addresses that ... the students aren’t learning at the same level and having the same resources.”
As for Trump, a main focus on K-12 education involves the issue of charter schools.
Trump's plan involves immediately adding an additional federal investment of $20 billion toward school of choice, allowing students the right to attend a public or private school, according to his website.
“I think it’s a great idea,” David Parkhill, president of OU College Republicans, said. “I believe in a free market economy, and I believe free education should be one of those free market options.”
When Trump announced his support for charter schools during a speech in September, Clinton released a statement on her website claiming “Trump’s proposal ... would decimate public schools across America and deprive our most vulnerable students of the education they deserve.”
Parkhill said he disagreed with Clinton’s response, adding that choice is "very important" and there are few other options for improving public school systems.
Trump responded to Clinton's statement by saying her response did not come as a surprise because Clinton is supported by The American Federation of Teachers super PAC.
The two candidates, however, do agree that the country’s educational policy has room for improvement. Trump has said he wants to help the 11 million children living in poverty, while Clinton has emphasized the importance of rebuilding inner-city schools.
