In tonight’s CNN Town Hall, Marco Rubio asserted that he makes the grade when it comes to making college more affordable. But the truth is, Rubio and his cadre of Republican presidential candidates aren’t helping students pay off their loans. They are making it harder for students to pay off their student loans, forgive their debt, and fail to act on the crisis affecting millions of young people across the country.
Donald Trump: Trump University was “Deception”
Donald Trump entered the presidential race under the specter of three lawsuits over Trump University. [CNN Money, 7/24/15]
Donald Trump’s Trump University was sued by the state of New York for $40 million for engaging in “deception at every stage of consumers’ advancement through costly programs.” [Associated Press, 8/24/13]
Donald Trump was found “personally liable for running an unlicensed school.”[CNN Money, 7/24/15]
Ted Cruz: Student Loans
Ted Cruz voted against legislation that would allow borrowers to refinance their student loans. [S. 2432, 6/4/14; Senate roll call vote 185, 6/11/14]
Ted Cruz voted against legislation that would cap interest rates on federal student loans. [S. Amdt. 1778, 7/24/13; Senate roll call vote 183, 7/24/13]
Marco Rubio: Voted against Student Loan Refinancing and Debt Forgiveness
Marco Rubio voted against legislation to allow people to refinance their student loan debt. [The Hill, 6/11/14; Senate roll call vote 185, 6/11/14]
Marco Rubio opposed the debt forgiveness provision of Pres. Obama’s student loan reform plan. [Sunshine State News, 6/11/14]
Marco Rubio voted against allowing student loan borrowers to refinance at 2013-2014 student loan rates – 3.9 percent for undergraduates – paid for by requiring millionaires to pay a tax rate of at least 30 percent.. [Senate Vote 86, 3/25/15; Congressional Quarterly, 3/24/15; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 11]
Marco Rubio voted against capping future federal student loan interest rates, paid for with a millionaires tax. [Senate Vote 183, 7/24/13; Congressional Quarterly, 7/24/13]
Marco Rubio voted for increasing student loan interest rates from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent as part of the FY 2014 Ryan budget. [Senate Vote 46, 3/21/13; Education Votes, 3/20/13]
Ben Carson: Student Loan Crisis Stemmed from Students not Using “Their Brains”
Ben Carson claimed the student loan crisis stemmed from students not understanding “the importance of work” and not using “their brains.” [Huffington Post, 5/8/15]
Jeb Bush: Oversaw Tuition Increases, Referred to Debt-Free College as “More Free Stuff”
Jeb Bush referred to debt-free college as “more free stuff.” [NYT, 7/8/15]
As Governor of Florida, Jeb Bush oversaw a tuition increase of almost 60 percent. [PolitiFact, 6/30/15]
….While proposing to fund universities with what the St. Petersburg Times called “pocket change.” [St. Petersburg Times, 1/25/05]