John,
Recently my son and I took a roadtrip to look at colleges. He’s a junior in high school, so we’re starting to really seriously talk about his plans for college. Like most American families in this position, we’re not just thinking about dorm food and majors—the cost of college looms large over our conversations.
In 1990, the average cost of tuition for a year at a public university was $1,780. In 2020, it was over $10,000—far outpacing inflation. From 1989 (when I first started college) to 2016, college costs increased almost 8 times faster than wages. As we toured different schools, some told families to plan to spend $80,000 per year. That’s why so many Americans are straddled with student loan debt and why many others aren’t able to attend college at all.
While I’ve called on the Biden Administration to forgive student loan debt (something that would benefit our ENTIRE economy), I also think it’s important we address the root cause of all of this debt—higher education costs that are out of reach for many families.
To counter the high cost of higher education we need to invest in our state run universities and make two years of community college free—we are so lucky to have such great community colleges and universities here in California.
This is why I’m a proud member of the College Affordability Caucus. I know my family isn’t the only one grappling with the high cost of college. I want to hear from you: How would lowering the cost of college and forgiving student loans change your life?
Everyone who is willing to do the work should be able to get the education they need to thrive. In order for our country to have a strong, stable, globally competitive economy, we must prioritize affordable education.
Katie Porter
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Katie is running for re-election in California’s 47th district, which includes Irvine and coastal Orange County. This purple district contains an equal number of Democrats and Republicans and is a must-win for Democrats. Consider pitching in today so we have the resources to keep Katie in Congress fighting for working people. |
