Quick Post - Creigh Deeds mentions loan forgiveness (gasp!)

In a recent Q&A, Creigh Deeds answered a question (here) about the rising cost of tuition and what he would do to help students saddled with student loan det.

The question: "What would you do about rising college tuition costs?"

Deeds: "[truncated version] I plan to offer targeted loan forgiveness to encourage students to enter high-need fields and fill jobs in high-need areas, such as teaching and health care and science."

Not the best answer in my opinion, but it's something - a tidbit, and I love morsels (Nietzsche taught me to appreciate the bigness of small remarks). I'm encouraged because it's obvious that there's an awareness of the student lending crisis, and it was actually a question raised. Of course, no one is really responding to those of us saddled with debt and graduated, but I'm heartened.


Who lives in VA? If you live in VA, I demand (ha!) that you call Deeds's office and tell him we'd support him, if he sticks to this plan!

His contact information is:

Northern Virginia Headquarter

2001 N. Beauregard St., Suite 420
Alexandria, VA 22311
Phone: (571) 303-2260

Deeds for Virginia
P.O. Box 11658
Alexandria, VA 2231 

Ideas Worth Exploring

You'll have to forgive me for not writing a nice post in complete sentences this morning, as I'm running/flying between Santa Monica and Nashville with hardly any time to spare. But since the policy conversations in Washington these days feel friendly to good ideas, I want to throw some out there -- and see what kind of support we can generate. I'm not claiming any of these are uniquely mine, just that I think they're worth researching further and potentially backing as policies. Here we go:

1. Tie loan forgiveness to college completion. Create incentives for students to choose a loan over long hours of work while in college, and give them a reason to be sure and finish a credential.

2. Forgive student loans as a way to stimulate the economy. Instead of sending people checks, let them keep the money they already have.

3. Do NOT tie need-based grant aid to college completion.

4. Start teacher induction/mentoring programs for junior professors. If we know new k-12 teachers need help getting started teaching kids, why would we think new assistant professors are prepared and able to teach 18-year-olds?

5. Make one during or post-college service option (e.g. for loan forgiveness) serving as a 'college coach' in a high-poverty high school.