Heading Into The Democratic Convention, Where Do Both Candidates and Their VPs Stand On Higher Education Policy?

Overview
Next Monday, August 19th, the 2024 Democratic National Convention will begin in Chicago, Illinois. Heading into the Convention, Democratic National Convention Chair Minyon Moore, stated,

“From inside the United Center, we will introduce our nominees to the country. We will hear directly from the people who know them best. We will showcase stories from Americans across the country whose freedoms hinge on this election. We will give Vice President Harris and Gov. Walz a stage to lay out their bold vision for the future. It’s a vision of hope, freedom, and possibility — and it stands in stark contrast with the vision that Donald Trump is trying to drag us back to.”

“At the convention in Chicago, we will unite as a party and recommit to the work ahead. We will show the world who we are and what we stand for as Democrats, and in November, we will elect Kamala Harris as the 47th President of the United States, sending her and Gov. Walz to the White House to finish the job that she and President Biden started together.”

What Are Presidential Candidate Harris and VP Candidate Walz’ Previous Positions On Higher Education Policy Agenda
Many of you have asked CSPEN via email’s, phone conversations, and participation at recent State Association Conferences what the Democratic Policy Platform for higher education will look like. We know that former Attorney General Kamala Harris took a hard line in California on oversight of for-profit education and student loan debt relief for students enrolled in institutions who misrepresented their outcomes. We know as a Senator Harris promoted free community college with many of her Democratic Senate colleagues and also called for greater support for students’ basic needs (e.g. food, child care, transportation and housing). And most recently as the Vice President since 2020 she supported President Biden’s extensive student loan cancellation and relief proposals, efforts to support more federal funding for HBCUs and other minority serving institutions, and efforts once again focused on for-profit education oversight and greater enforcement.

As a former teacher and coach, Tim Walz is an advocate for education in general, and throughout his six terms as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives either championed or supported many education bills. Most recently, as a two term Governor of Minnesota, Walz supported increased funding for both elementary & high school and post-secondary education. Governor Walz signed into law the North Star Promise, state legislation that provides free tuition for students and families living in Minnesota making less than $80K a year to attend any public college in the state and also signed into law separate legislation providing free college access for Minnesota’s Native American tribes.

The Democratic Platform
As part of the Democratic Party Platform on education, the partys’ website states,

“Democrats want every child – no matter their ZIP code – to have access to a quality public K-12 education, and for college to be affordable for every American. We know that as the global marketplace grows more competitive, we need to expand opportunities for higher education and job training. Democrats are committed to increasing the college-completion rate as well as the share of students who are prepared for budding industries with specific job-related skills.

Democrats recognize education as the most pressing economic issue in America’s future, and we cannot allow our country to fall behind in a global economy. We must prepare the next generation for success in college and the workforce.”

It will be important to see how these beliefs are articulated in speeches throughout the Democratic National Convention and what deviations from the Biden Administration’s policy positions may be presented.