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Dear Fellow Vermonter,
In the wealthiest country in history, the United States should have the best educational system in the world. We don’t. Sadly, we are falling further and further behind in terms of how we educate our young people — from childcare to graduate school.
One unfortunate example: The U.S. used to lead the world in the percentage of adults with a college degree. Today, we are in 11th place behind countries like Japan, South Korea, Canada, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. In a highly globalized economy, that is not a prescription for a strong American future. It is a prescription for failure.
Today, many hundreds of thousands of bright young people who wish to go to college never get the chance — not because they are unqualified, but because they cannot afford the outrageous cost of higher education.
That is why I am encouraged to see efforts across our state to help working class Vermonters access a tuition-free college education. For decades, the Community College of Vermont and our state college system have opened doors for Vermont students, regardless of income, to continue their education. The good news is that the University of Vermont is now joining that effort through its UVM Promise program.
When it launched in 2022, UVM Promise covered tuition and fees for admitted students from Vermont families earning up to $60,000 a year — ensuring working class students would not be burdened with a lifetime of debt. Now, UVM has expanded the program to include students from families earning up to $100,000 a year, without requiring any additional paperwork. Let me repeat: Vermont students from families earning less than $100,000 a year can attend UVM tuition-free. For more information, visit the UVM Promise website here. Because UVM does not consider a student’s financial status during admissions, Vermont students do not have to worry that their family income will be held against them.
It has long been my view that it is absurd, cruel and counter-productive to the best interests of our country to saddle young people with a lifetime of student loan debt as the “reward” for getting a college education. That is why I have introduced the College for All Act, which would eliminate undergraduate tuition and fees at public colleges and universities for 95% of students in America. This legislation would also triple investments in work-study and allow student aid to cover essential expenses like room and board, food, transportation and more.
To be clear, there are many excellent professions open for people who do not wish to go to college — jobs we desperately need, jobs that cannot be outsourced and jobs where workers can earn very decent incomes. But the reality is that many careers do require a college degree. And any young person who wants to pursue those careers should be able to do so, regardless of how much money their parents have.
The University of Vermont is moving in exactly the right direction. I hope more colleges and universities across America will follow its lead.
Sincerely,
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