Problem
Childcare costs exceed $15,000/year in most states. Student debt exceeds $1.7 trillion. Title IX rollbacks weaken campus safety protections for 19 million students. School funding disparities produce 3-year achievement gaps by eighth grade.
Proposed Fix
Universal tuition-free pre-K for ages 3-4. Cancel existing federal student debt and make public colleges, universities, and trade schools tuition-free. Fully fund Title I schools at 40% above current levels. Strengthen Title IX protections with trauma-informed proceedings.
Economic Impact
NBER research links universal pre-K to 13% higher college enrollment and 8% lifetime earnings increase. Student debt cancellation would boost GDP $86B annually. Title I funding closes achievement gaps within two generations.
Cost of Inaction
Families keep paying $15,000+ annually for childcare while $1.6 trillion in student debt delays homeownership; Title IX rollbacks leave 19 million students with weaker campus safety protections and achievement gaps persist across generations.
Safeguards
- Education Trust Fund insulated from annual appropriations battles
- Faculty and student majority on university governance boards
- Debt cancellation limited to public and non-profit institution loans
- 10-year review of pre-K outcomes with mandatory program adjustments
Related Legislation
- H.R. 4647 — College for All Act
Introduced — tuition-free public higher ed
- H.R. 2813 — Universal Child Care and Early Learning Act
Introduced — pre-K expansion
Implementation Timeline
- Pre-K rolloutYear 1–2
Federal-state partnership funds universal pre-K for ages 3–4 in highest-need districts first.
- Debt cancellationYear 2
Cancel federal student debt for public and nonprofit graduates; cap future public tuition at $0.
- Title I & Title IXYear 3–5
40% Title I funding increase; trauma-informed Title IX proceedings with student-faculty governance boards.
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