Democrats campaign on education

The war with Iraq and homeland security are some of the hot-button issues of the Democratic primary. However, where do the candidates stand on issues that specifically affect the college-aged demographic? They may share the same party affiliation, but Gen. Wesley Clark, Gov. Howard Dean, Sen. John Edwards and Sen. John Kerry each have a distinct plan for education reform.

Clark hopes to make college more affordable through his Universal College Grant Plan, according to his campaign website. The first part of his three-part plan makes college tuition virtually free for the first two years. Full-time college students whose family income is below $100,000 would receive $6,000 per year for the first two years. According to Clark's website, the average annual tuition of a four-year college was under $5,000.

The second pillar of his plan fights rising tuition costs by stabilizing state fiscal situations and appointing a national commission to investigate the reasons behind tuition increases. Finally, Clark hopes to make it easier for families to save up money for college by extending the Saver's Credit to Education IRAs.

Edwards' plan focuses on both high school and college education. He hopes to overhaul America's high schools to reduce the disparity between schools serving students of different economic backgrounds.

"Without the combination of support from loving parents, terrific teachers, and public schools at every level, I would never be standing here today," Edwards said on his campaign website. "Unfortunately, that combination is getting harder and harder to find in America. Too many kids are trapped in schools that don't work."

Similar to Clark's Universal College Grant Plan is Edwards' "College for Everyone" project. The plan would pay the first-year tuition of a public college for students who agree to work roughly 10 hours a week. To make access to education more equitable, Edwards also proposes an end to legacy admissions preferences.

Dean hopes to restructure early education with the "Success by Six" plan that will "utilize local community resources to support early childhood development," according to his website.

For the college-bound, Dean hopes to implement a plan called the "Dean College Commitment" to help families save for college.

"Every student who commits in eighth grade to working hard in high school and to pursuing a higher education will have the resources to earn a degree," according to Dean's website. Students will have access to $10,000 a year for tuition fees and, after college, their payments will never represent more than 10 percent of their incomes.

Kerry's proposals for education reform promise to be dramatically different from those of the Bush administration. According to Kerry's campaign website, Bush has failed in his "No Child Left Behind Act" by not fulfilling his commitment to equip schools with enough resources.

In the first 100 days of his presidency, Kerry hopes to create a National Education Trust Fund which would fully fund education, "no questions asked." On the collegiate level, Kerry emphasizes the importance of broadening college opportunities for women. According to his website, "Kerry will defend Title IX and work to expand college opportunities for women."