Democrats’ divide: Free college for all or for some?

WASHINGTON — Pete Buttigieg’s latest ad on college affordability was a relatively quiet one: The presidential candidate is seen explaining his plan for free public college tuition for some to a small group of nodding middle-aged voters, his measured tone hardly shifting as he takes an indirect swipe at his Democratic rivals. “Universal public systems are designed to benefit EVERYBODY!” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted in defense of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ college plan, using her social media muscle to unleash a fresh barrage of tweets, posts and debate about how best to overhaul the way Americans pay for higher education. Buttigieg’s proposal would offer free public college tuition for students from households earning less than $100,000 a year. She compared her tuition plan to the GI Bill after World War II that funded college for returning veterans, saying in an interview with the news outlet Iowa Starting Line that the program “not only helped millions of individuals, it also supercharged our economy.” Critics of Buttigieg’s plan note that the current financial aid system is already income-based and that government support has failed to curb students’ dependence on personal debt to finance the rising costs of college.