Former Ohio Governor and Congressman Ted Stricklandsays he would work to ensure college graduates are nearly debt-free if he’s elected to the U.S. Senate. The Democratic hopeful laid out this plan today during a stop in Northeast Ohio.
During a tour of an apprentice training program at the Painter’s and Allied Trade Union headquarters in Strongsville, Strickland said such programs are valuable because they provide a good career without the crushing debt of a college education. But as Senator he says he would push for more affordable higher education opportunities.
“By putting together a complex system of student funding. Part of that would obviously be the Pell Grant program which I strongly support. We should expand it. The Perkins Loan program. But we also need to allow students who do have debt to refinance their debt at a lower interest rate.”
Strickland says colleges and universities also need to do more to reduce costs. He hopes to challenge Republican Ohio Senator Rob Portman in November. He chided Portman for voting against student loan refinancing and voting to reduce Pell Grants.