Gov. Scott Walker Refuses to Help One Million Wisconsin Student Loan Borrowers With Their Student Loan Debt, Wants Help Paying Off His From Disastrous Presidential Bid

MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Scott Walker has spent three years blocking legislation that could help Wisconsin student loan borrowers with their debt by allowing them to refinance, just like you can with a mortgage. One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross blasted Walker for now asking for campaign donations to pay off the massive debt from his failed 71 day campaign for President because his sons are in college.

“Nearly one million Wisconsin student loan borrowers did the right thing, working hard for their education and taking on the personal responsibility to pay for it,” commented Ross. “Scott Walker has stood in the way of common sense reform to allow them to refinance those loans for years, but is looking for a bailout for himself and the debt he accumulated chasing his personal political ambitions.”

In the most recent fundraising solicitation from Walker seeking to fill the stunning $1 million hole he put himself in over a mere 71 days as a Presidential candidate he writes he, “ … came into this campaign with a mortgage and paying college tuition for two sons. As much as I wish we could, we cannot write a big check to wipe out the campaign debt.”

While relying on college debt as means to separate his supporters from their cash Walker has spent the better part of three years opposing efforts in the state legislature to pass the Higher Ed, Lower Debt Act that would help state student loan borrowers save money by refinancing their loans, just like you can with a mortgage.

In addition, on Walker’s watch, Wisconsin has gone from tenth to third highest in the nation for percentage of college graduates with student loan debt. Ross pointed to the policies of Walker and his fellow legislative Republicans as major culprits including double digit tuition hikes at the University of Wisconsin (UW) System, $1 billion in cuts to the UW and technical colleges and woefully underfunded financial aid leaving tens of thousands of eligible students with no help.

Ross concluded, “Gov. Walker has always been willing to do or say anything to try to advance his own ambitions and win the next election. We see yet another revelation of his unbridled venality as he denies any help to Wisconsin student loan borrowers while bemoaning his situation to raise campaign cash for himself.”