Jason Kander Meets with College Students and Administrators to Discuss the Student Debt Crisis at Missouri State

Press Release

Jason Kander this afternoon joined with students and administrators from Missouri State University to discuss the impact of the student debt crisis and how the federal government can improve college affordability and accessibility.

According to the Institute for College Access & Success, the average debt for a Missouri graduate of a public four-year institution or private non-profit four-year institution is $25,844, ranking Missouri the 33rd worst in the nation in terms of how much debt students graduate with and the 31st worst in the nation in terms of how many students graduate with debt.

"Far too often, we've seen politicians in Washington blame college debt on students' lifestyles -- as if it's the extra bowl of Ramen in the microwave that is putting them over the edge -- but I've traveled across the state and the fact is you have students working multiple jobs while balancing their academic responsibilities who are still thousands of dollars in debt," Jason said. "Making college affordable isn't just the right thing to do, it's the smart thing to do if we want to grow the middle class and strengthen our economy."

"This is an issue that is clearly important to Jason. He took the time to listen and learn from us -- that's something you just don't see everyday from politicians," said James Moore, a sophomore at Missouri State. "His message of electing a new generation of leadership is one that resonated with me, especially given all the gridlock you see in Congress today."

A firm believer that higher education is a public good, Jason discussed his support for new initiatives at the federal and state level for combating the rising cost of higher education. Some of his policy positions include:

--Allowing students to refinance their student loans similar to a loan for a house or a car;

--Placing a cap on federal student loan interest rates;

--Expanding the Pell Grant program to reduce dependency on college loans for low-income students;

--Creating standards for for-profit colleges to ensure graduates are prepared for gainful employment, and that fraudulent recruitment and financial practices do not devalue a student's degree;

--Increasing diversity on college campuses, through pre-existing initiatives such as recruiting from underrepresented communities and establishing faculty diversity standards; and

--Providing additional support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, which have traditionally been left out of college affordability discussions despite serving a high proportion of low-income students.

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