Examining Sanders' argument on student loans...and why he's wrong

[LWolf]

12. Not at all.

Sanders thinks that college should be tuition free. That means no loans, and no interest.

http://feelthebern.org/bernie-sanders-on-education/

And, of course, he often makes the "investing in students" argument.

And, of course, your link does not take us to Sanders talking about student loans. When he does, he's talking about existing loans.

And this is the link for his plans for student loans:

2. STOP THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FROM MAKING A PROFIT ON STUDENT LOANS.
Over the next decade, it has been estimated that the federal government will make a profit of over $110 billion on student loan programs. This is morally wrong and it is bad economics. As President, Sen. Sanders will prevent the federal government from profiteering on the backs of college students and use this money instead to significantly lower student loan interest rates.

3. SUBSTANTIALLY CUT STUDENT LOAN INTEREST RATES.
Under the Sanders plan, the formula for setting student loan interest rates would go back to where it was in 2006. If this plan were in effect today, interest rates on undergraduate loans would drop from 4.29% to just 2.37%.

4. ALLOW AMERICANS TO REFINANCE STUDENT LOANS AT TODAY’S LOW INTEREST RATES.
It makes no sense that you can get an auto loan today with an interest rate of 2.5%, but millions of college graduates are forced to pay interest rates of 5-7% or more for decades. Under the Sanders plan, Americans would be able to refinance their student loans at today’s low interest rates.

https://berniesanders.com/issues/its-time-to-make-college-tuition-free-and-debt-free/

Clearly, he's looking at helping those who are currently burdened with a lifetime of debt to cover college costs as well as the students who will be entering college in the coming years.

The Obama administration extended help to strapped homeowners with the "making home affordable" program. I don't see a problem with extending that idea into the student loan arena for those already in debt.