Elizabeth Warren releases sweeping student debt cancellation and free college plan

CNN — Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Monday proposed eliminating the student loan debts of tens of millions of Americans and making all public colleges tuition-free, staking out an ambitious stance on one of the central policy debates of the 2020 Democratic primary. “For two cents on the dollar, we could pay for universal child care, universal pre-K, universal college and knock back the student loan debt burden for about 43 million Americans and still have nearly, just short, of $1 trillion leftover,” Warren said in an interview with CNN. “It tells you how badly out of whack our economy is right now.” Warren – a co-sponsor of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2017 legislation that would make four-year public colleges tuition-free for some students – said her new plan is “bigger” and “goes further” than Sanders’, who is also vying for the Democratic nomination. Altogether, it would wipe out all student debt – including both federal and private loans – for more than 75% of Americans with outstanding loans, according to analysis provided by Warren’s campaign. The “Universal Free College” portion of Warren’s plan makes public college free for everyone, regardless of their finances.