We need to guarantee the right to a good, public education for all. We will free generations of Americans from the outrageous burden of student loans by canceling all existing student debt. The United States needs to catch up to the many industrialized countries of the World and recognize that education is a RIGHT and it is a great investment into the future of our nations as our people will be more trained and educated, giving us an edge in all industries compared to our competitors across the world.

Education is the great equalizer when it comes to a healthy meritocracy, which the current system is definitely not! Having free public higher education will allow historically disparaged communities to catch up and get higher-level jobs, creating more racial and economic justice across the country.

This campaign agrees with Senator Bernie Sanders’s plan to place a relatively small tax on Wall Street to pay for this plan. As Bernie says:

“We can guarantee higher education as a right for all and cancel all student debt for an estimated $2.2 trillion. To pay for this, we shall impose a tax of a fraction of a percent on Wall Street speculators who nearly destroyed the economy more than a decade ago. This Wall Street speculation tax will raise $2.4 trillion over the next ten years. It works by placing a 0.5 percent tax on stock trades – 50 cents on every $100 of stock – a 0.1 percent fee on bond trades, and a 0.005 percent fee on derivative trades.

If Wall Street can be bailed out for several trillion dollars, then more than 45 million Americans can and will be bailed out of the more than $1.6 trillion burden of student loan debt, and we can provide free college for all. Some 40 countries throughout the world have imposed a similar tax, including Britain, South Korea, Brazil, Germany, France, and Switzerland.”

- Senator Bernie Sanders

Key Points:

• Guarantee tuition and debt-free public colleges, universities, HBCUs, Minority Serving Institutions, and trade schools to all.

• Cancel all student loan debt for the some 45 million Americans who owe about $1.6 trillion and place a cap on student loan interest rates going forward at 1.88 percent.

• In 2008, the working class bailed out the big Wall Street banks, now it is time for Wall Street to bail out the working class by paying taxes to eliminate student-debt and fund public education.

• Invest $1.3 billion every year in private, non-profit historically black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions

• End equity gaps in higher education attainment. And ensure students are able to cover non-tuition costs of attending school by: expanding Pell Grants to cover non-tuition and fee costs, tripling funding for the Work-Study Program, and more.