FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 20, 2015
Contacts:
Colin Seeberger, colin.seeberger@
Young Invincibles Cheers Millennial-Supported Policy Proposals Expected to be Announced During the President’s State of the Union Address
Ahead of President Obama’s State of the Union address tonight, please consider Young Invincibles’ positions on the following Millennial-focused policy issues that we anticipate could come up:
College Affordability
Free Community College Tuition: With tuition costs soaring and more than $1.2 trillion in student loan debt piling high, this proposal would be a big win for our generation. Community colleges serve a wide range of students and play a vital role in our higher education system. President Obama’s plan will make community college more affordable, prepare more of our young people to enter the workforce, and begin to bend the arc on America’s student loan debt surge.
Higher Education Tax Credits: We support the President’s plan to simplify the maze of higher education tax credits and deductions, which presents a real positive opportunity for students. Students and families have struggled to find the right benefits for them and in many cases, missed critical support as a result. Moving forward, however, we hope to preserve tax relief for future low and middle-income student loan borrowers as well, and to build on this tax package by boosting direct support for the Pell grant, which is covering fewer college costs than ever before.
Making Repayment More Manageable for Struggling Student Loan Borrowers: With 40 million Americans being saddled with about $1.2 trillion in federal student loan debt, we must do more to help struggling student loan borrowers repay their loans. By expanding the income-based repayment plan Pay As You Earn – as the White House has proposed – we can help more borrowers keep more of their earnings while meeting their obligations.
Jobs Initiatives
With young adult unemployment rates hovering around 40 percent higher than the national average and a divided government, we must move swiftly on commonsense proposals, such as the LEAP Act, which has bipartisan support, and is sponsored by Senators Booker and Scott. The LEAP Act would incentivize employers to hire young, registered apprenticeships in exchange for tax credits. These registered apprenticeship programs have a proven track record and would help connect more young people to the workforce.
Please be in touch if you would like to speak with one of our policy experts ahead of the State of the Union or afterward.
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