Statement on Bloomberg Higher Ed Plan

Michael Dannenberg, Director of Strategic Initiatives for Policy at Education Reform Now, a longtime senior Democratic advisor and national expert on higher education policy, released the following statement on Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s higher education plan:

“Mike Bloomberg’s higher education plan combines both resources and rigor to promote racial justice and economic mobility for historically underserved students, joining the other 2020 Democratic candidates in offering bold ideas on college access and affordability.

Each 2020 Democratic candidate has put forth distinguishing proposals within the same overall pro-college access framework. Bloomberg’s plan goes further in one notable aspect in calling for an end to legacy preferences in college admissions that disproportionately harm minority students. Bloomberg would also reward selective colleges that increase low-income and middle-class student enrollment while investing in programs to increase college completion rates for low-income students in particular.

In addition to making two & four-year public college debt-free for high-need students, Bloomberg would double Pell Grants & cut in half student loan monthly payments to make higher education more affordable in general.

Bloomberg’s plan solidifies a commitment among the 2020 Democratic Presidential candidates to make college cheaper, fairer, and better in substantial ways. The Democrats’ approach stands in stark contrast to President Trump’s latest budget that would make student loans more expensive and college less affordable for most families.

We need higher education policies that will ensure equity, access, and affordability for all students.