Walker Ad Can’t Hide Failing Record on Higher Ed, Student Loan Debt

MADISON, Wis. — In a deceptive new ad, the flailing campaign of Gov. Scott Walker is trying to whitewash his disastrous record on student loan debt and higher education. Speaking directly to camera, Walker ignores the fact students are paying $200 million in higher tuition as result of hikes he signed into law. Also unmentioned by Walker is that he’s stood in the way of a first in the nation state plan plan that would allow many of Wisconsin’s more than 800,000 student loan borrowers to refinance their loans, just like you can a mortgage.

“Gov. Walker has been a disaster for student loan borrowers and their families, while Mary Burke has never raised tuition a dime and has made student loan refinancing central to her plans for Wisconsin,” said Scot Ross, One Wisconsin Now Executive Director. “Gov. Walker took nearly $5 million from the banking and financial industry and now he’s standing in the way of reforms that would put money back into the pockets of more than 800,000 student loan borrowers.”

In October 2013, Rep. Cory Mason (D-Racine) and Sen. Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) introduced common sense reforms including refinancing and a tax break for borrowers in their historic Higher Ed, Lower Debt Act. Despite having 54 co-sponsors, Walker’s Republican allies killed the bill. Burke included these proposals in her comprehensive jobs and economic development blueprint for the state.

In contrast, Gov. Walker’s record has been disastrous for student loan borrowers:

Hiking tuition and cutting state support for public education: In his first budget, Gov. Walker enacted an 11% tuition increase for University of Wisconsin schools. Students will pay more than $200 million in increased tuition over Gov. Walker’s four years in office because of his budget. Walker has also cut state funding for the University of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Technical College System by nearly $400 million in his two state budgets.

Flat-lining and cutting state financial aid: Under Gov. Walker, state financial aid programs for eligible students have received no new funds, even as double-digit tuition increases were signed into law. In addition, Gov. Walker phased out the Wisconsin Covenant program, signing into law a measure reducing state tuition assistance by $38 million over two years.

Refusing to help current borrowers: Gov. Walker let legislation die that would have helped current student loan borrowers refinance their loans and deduct student loan payments from their state taxes, just like you can with a mortgage. Despite entreaties from legislators, Walker has refused to call a special session to revive legislation to help student loan borrowers.

Ross concluded, “Students and borrowers have done the right thing – they have worked hard and took on the personal responsibility of paying for their education. They’re not asking for a bailout, just a system that treats them fairly and gives them the shot at the middle class that they’ve earned. Mary Burke is proposing reforms to give them that opportunity while Gov. Walker is standing in the way.”

Recently, Ruth Conniff, editor of The Progressive Magazine, penned a piece “The student debt issue could decide the 2014 election.”