Exclusive: Biden sees loan forgiveness as just the starting line. His next order of business? Free community college.
President Joe Biden spoke exclusively with The Recount ahead of his major student debt relief announcement Monday in Madison, Wisconsin — revealing how he sees loan forgiveness as just the starting line.
“[Student] debt relief is a relief for millions of Americans — that’s exactly what it is. But it doesn’t get to the heart of a big issue going on in America, which is that college, the cost of it, is so unaffordable. Is this a step in the right direction, making college and higher education more accessible for all Americans?” The Recount’s Grace Weinstein, host of “WTF America” on YouTube and Snapchat, asked the president.
“Yes, but you know what I’m gonna get done? ... Free community college,” Biden replied, noting that he hopes to accomplish that in his second term.
“You’re cutting half the cost of education, a four-year degree, number one. Number two, it generates economic growth. When people have an opportunity to get out there and do what they wanna do and grow businesses and grow their educational opportunities, it makes a gigantic difference,” the president added.
“Now you have a number of colleges around the country, the famous colleges, saying tuition’s gonna be $100,000 next year,” Biden said.
“I can’t say to one of the great Ivy schools or the 20 best schools in America, et cetera, ‘You can’t charge that much.’ I can’t do that, but I tell you what, we can cut it in half if we have free community college,” the president continued on later.
“It will grow the economy,” Biden insisted. “How can we be the strongest country in the world without the best education system in the world? Can’t do it.”
