What Democrats’ proposed $3.5 trillion spending plan could mean for college students
Democrats propose major funding increases for education but have yet to get the votes. Illustration by SAM ANDRUS, Photo Editor
A budget proposal from U.S. Democrats would sweepingly offer greater accessibility to a post-high school education. This money would be used to grant citizens two years of free college, increased funding for historically black colleges and Pell Grants.
All 50 Democratic senators would need to vote yes in order to pass the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill, which would effectively increase the funding and creation of various federal programs. President Joe Biden has been heavily campaigning to get this legislation passed. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell could filibuster the bill Oct. 1 which could lead to a government shutdown.
However, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) told CNN reporters he does not support the spending bill, which was largely assembled by Democrats in the House of Representatives. Manchin said he finds it too expensive and would rather allocate resources to addressing issues like the trajectory of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and unemployment.
“There are still 11 million jobs that aren't filled right now,” Manchin said. “Eight million people are still unemployed. Something's not matching up. Don't you think we ought to hit the ‘pause’ and find out?”
The Democrat’s combattance of the bill prompted immediate criticism by other members of the party, such as Rep. Katie Porter of California’s 45th Congressional District.
“I would like to see Sen. Joe Manchin come out in favor of fully funding the IRS, in favor of having a fair global corporate tax system,” Porter said to MSNBC. “Once we raise that revenue, I am willing to talk to him about what we need to do to create a budget bill that meets his goal and definition of being fiscally responsible.”
But, Manchin isn’t the only Democrat harboring doubts about the bill’s effectiveness — Sen. Kristen Sinema (D-AZ) has joined Manchin in his opposition. Biden met with both senators separately last week to try to win their support.
“While I will support beginning this process, I do not support a bill that costs $3.5 trillion,” Sinema said in a statement.
The bill has gained support among Democrats because it allocates $726 billion to provide universal pre-K and $111 billion to community college. This would allow 5.5 million students access to tuition-free education, according to an Apr. 28 briefing from the White House.
22-year-old Vik Marcussen, who attended Collin County Community college, said that he started working when he was 16-years-old for $7.25 an hour at the grocery store in order to afford the cost of higher education.
“I biked to work and to school, because I couldn't save up for a down-payment on a car (since) all my money was going to pay for my school,” Marcussen said.
He added that the financial pressure of paying for college took a heavy toll on his mental health.
“Both my mental and physical health tanked and remained untreated,” Marcussen said. “I never want anyone to have to go through that. Having a college education provided to me for free would have meant I never (would have) had to go through the majority of that.”
Expansions for Pell Grants have also been included in the bill, which would increase the maximum grant to $7,000, thereby slashing student debt in half.
“Higher education must be considered a human right, made free and accessible to all,” Jeanie Le, the president of Orange County Democrats, told The Panther. “In effort to create a more equitable educational system, the #DoubleThePell would extend the Pell Grant to undocumented students — a significant number of (whom) are disproportionately high-need.”
$107 billion of the budget would also be allocated to the Judiciary Committee with the goal of prompting further action to achieve "lawful permanent status for qualified immigrants."
Civic Engagement Senator Cristina Molina, a senior communication studies and political science double major, told The Panther she is especially pleased with the plans to expand financial aid and eligibility for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients as well as the objective to increase funding for historically Black institutions.
“I believe this is the right move towards BIPOC receiving equity and inclusion within higher education, and (it would) help Americans as a whole receive a college education with less barriers to entry,” Molina said.
Community college is free in some states already, including New York, Oregon, Tennessee and Rhode Island. California offers waived fees for some community college students through the Promise Program, but requires applicants to be a first-time college student, a California resident (or exempt from non-resident fees under the California Dream Act) and a full-time student.
“In the 21st century, twelve years of school isn’t enough,” Biden said in support of free two year college — though his campaign promise of student loan debt forgiveness has yet to reach fruition.
Some Democrats also support provisions in the bill that will help workers to form unions, provide pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change — to name a few.
The Senate returned from its August recess Sep. 13, and The House returned Sept. 20. As deadlines move closer, both legislative units are working in conjunction with the White House to pass the reconciliation bill. Lawmakers are currently working to identify which version of the bill is most likely to pass.