Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg on Monday filled in more details on his plan to lower college costs and boost workforce development opportunities, which includes making public college tuition-free for all families earning up to $100,000.
Mr. Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Indiana, would also make public college tuition-free for more than 7 million lower- and middle-income students who are eligible for federal Pell Grants. The plan calls for “substantial tuition subsidies” for students from families earning up to $150,000.
He would put an additional $120 billion into the Pell Grant program, including supplemental grants for public college students.
Mr. Buttigieg would also invest $50 billion in historically black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions over the next decade, put $50 billion into increasing the number of apprenticeships, and double funding for career and technical education.
“Opportunities for success shouldn’t be limited to those with a college degree,” Mr. Buttigieg said. “By providing support to those who need it most, and not the children of millionaires and billionaires, my plan will also invest in workforce development, skills training, and apprenticeship opportunities for those Americans who choose not to go to college.”
That’s a contrast to 2020 rivals like Sens. Bernard Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who want to make public colleges and universities tuition-free for everyone.
Mr. Buttigieg would also provide expanded student loan forgiveness benefits to people who work in government services or nonprofit organizations.
He had previously mentioned some of the plans, including the college tuition benefits, in a set of economic proposals he released earlier this month.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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