Subject: Womp and Circumstance
From: DNC Press <[email-masked]>
To: DNC Press <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 8 May 2015 20:33:00 +0000

It's commencement season, and with that, millions of young Americans are graduating into thousands of dollars of debt. But before they go, many will have the opportunity to hear from Republican presidential candidates who have done nothing but add fire to the student debt crisis.
Take, for example, Governor Jeb Bush. He's addressing Liberty University's commencement. But under his leadership in Florida, students saw massive hikes in tuition at Florida state schools - a 37 percent increase for in-state students and 64 percent for out-of-state<http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/021506/met_21103146.shtml#.VTlJJSFViko>.
 But Jeb is not alone.  Governor Bobby Jindal's fiscal leadership has led to a disaster at Louisiana State University, which grew more acute in the past few weeks as the university prepares to file for academic bankruptcy<http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/04/lsu_academic_bankruptcy.html> after tuition and fees have increased by 95%<http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/wp/2015/02/11/jindals-claim-that-louisianas-higher-education-budget-is-slightly-higher/>.
  And what Governors Bush and Jindal brought to their state universities, Rick Perry brought it to the University of Texas. Texas college tuition rates increased 64 percent since 2003 after Perry approved of a law deregulating tuition rates<http://www.politifact.com/texas/statements/2015/jan/28/democratic-national-committee/national-democrats-criticizing-rick-perry-says-tex/>.
 Scott Walker brought it to the University of Wisconsin. The University of Wisconsin in Madison would have to eliminate 400 positions and reduce academic offerings and services if Walker's proposed budget cuts take effect - a state funding cut of $300 million over the next two years<http://www.wisn.com/politics/uwmadison-says-400-jobs-to-be-cut-under-walker-budget/32425866>.
 John Kasich brought it to Ohio where Ohio flunked on higher education financing efforts<https://stateimpact.npr.org/ohio/2015/01/07/report-finds-tuition-contributions-now-outweigh-state-financing-at-public-universities/> - with increased tuition rates.
 Chris Christie brought it to New Jersey, where tuition rates remain well above the national average.<http://www.nj.com/education/2014/08/how_much_does_it_cost_to_go_to_college_in_nj_tuitions_at_4-year_colleges_continue_to_rise.html>
Meanwhile, Republicans like Marco Rubio have vociferously opposed the President's plan to make community college free to anyone who works for it, calling it a "slippery slope" that "ends with the private sector giving up more of its freedom..."<http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/rubio-comes-out-against-obamas-college-plan>
And Rand Paul says students shouldn't be able to refinance their loans because of the "danger" of "overturning contracts."
And just about all of them have endorsed the Paul Ryan budget which slashed billions<http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/apr/5/gop-budget-eyes-pell-cuts/> from Pell Grants.
Here's a quote from DNC Spokesperson Rob Flaherty on this.
"With the commencement of commencement season upon us, the GOP's war on affordable college is continuing. Across the country, GOP Presidential candidates are working tirelessly for policies that gut funding, raise the cost of going college, and leave young Americans out to dry. No graduation speech will be able to gloss over the basic fact that Republicans hosing millennials to fight for millionaires, but then again, that might be why young voters continue to overwhelmingly stand with Democrats."

View this on our Factivists site here<http://factivists.democrats.org/womp-and-circumstance/>