HUFFINGTON POST: Will Rick Santorum’s Stance on Student Loans Benefit Borrowers?

Career College Central Summary:

Rick Santorum, who is gearing up to launch his second bid for the Republican presidential nomination,famously labeled President Obama a “snob” for his efforts to get every American access to a college education. The former Senator from Pennsylvania, who holds a BA, MBA and JD, has since admitted his phrasing during that 2012 speech in Michigan could have been better, but his voting records and policies show he hasn’t wavered much.
Here are the things you need to know about where Rick Santorum stands on higher education and student loans.
Senator Santorum, like many of his conservative counterparts, has positioned himself as an advocate for technical training for manufacturing jobs, and a derider of the traditional university. His snob comment came during a speech in which he detailed the way many Americans are simply more inclined to work with their hands.
His willingness to cut federal funding for college doesn’t only apply to the ivory tower, however. In 2006, Santorum voted NO on an amendment to the yearly budget resolution that would have increased funding for higher education, including programs for vocational training and adult education. It would have also increased the maximum on Pell Grant scholarships and increased loan forgiveness for science and math teachers.
And while Santorum has gone after the traditional university for their inability to give students the skills needed to compete for jobs on a global scale, he has staunchly defended for-profit colleges. These businesses, like ITT Tech and University of Phoenix, cost five to six times what community colleges cost, and their alumni account for a disproportionate share of the country’s student debt.

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