--- title: Martin O’Malley Unveils Debt-Free College Plan description: Democratic presidential candidate Martin O’Malley unveiled a plan on Wednesday to make an education at public universities debt-free. canonical: https://time.com/3950251/martin-omalley-bernie-sanders-college/ author: Sam Frizell article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-08T21:02:49.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:41:44.811Z article:section: Politics og:title: Martin O'Malley Unveils Debt-Free College Plan og:description: He argued a rival plan from Sen. Bernie Sanders wouldn't work. og:url: https://time.com/3950251/martin-omalley-bernie-sanders-college/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd9662b16538d7e2d/69885a2335ba6fa259c0e194/martin-omalley-colleges.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 594 og:image:height: 334 og:image:alt: Democratic presidential hopeful and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley arrives for a campaign event at the Sanctuary Pub on June 11, 2015 in Iowa City, Iowa. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Martin O'Malley Unveils Debt-Free College Plan twitter:description: He argued a rival plan from Sen. Bernie Sanders wouldn't work. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd9662b16538d7e2d/69885a2335ba6fa259c0e194/martin-omalley-colleges.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Martin O'Malley Unveils Debt-Free College Plan > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=9747a63a-baeb-489c-8483-17e60f08944a&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Govt. Erases Some Loan Debt As For-Profit Colleges Decline [Watch (HLS stream): Govt. Erases Some Loan Debt As For-Profit Colleges Decline](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/xbV9oLQf.m3u8) (1:51)  _Published 2015-06-09. The federal government is forgiving the debt of students who attended now-defunct Corinthian Colleges as for-profit universities' popularity drops._ by [Sam Frizell](https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Jul 8, 2015 9:02 PM UTC  Democratic presidential hopeful and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley arrives for a campaign event at the Sanctuary Pub on June 11, 2015 in Iowa City, Iowa. Democratic presidential hopeful and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley arrives for a campaign event at the Sanctuary Pub on June 11, 2015 in Iowa City, Iowa. Scott Olson—Getty Images by [Sam Frizell](https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Jul 8, 2015 9:02 PM UTC Democratic presidential candidate Martin O’Malley unveiled a plan on Wednesday to make an education at public universities debt-free in the next five years, then used it to attack a rival’s plan to make public college free. The former Maryland governor’s [plan would involve a series of steps](https://martinomalley.com/policy/make-college-debt-free/), including lowering state university tuition rates, tying loan repayment to graduates’ incomes and increasing federal Pell Grants to low-income students. “Unless we act now, more and more students will not be able to afford higher education at all, putting the American Dream even further out of reach,” O’Malley said in a statement. He also on Wednesday criticized a plan set forth by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders — though O’Malley avoided saying his name — to make public colleges [tuition-free](http://www.sanders.senate.gov/download/collegeforallsummary/?inline=file). Introduced in the Senate in May, Sanders’ bill would require the federal government to cover two-thirds of the total $70 billion tuition paid at public colleges and states to cover the rest. At St. Anselm’s College in Manchester, New Hampshire, where O’Malley rolled out his plan, he said that plan wouldn’t address rising education costs. “If you simply cut a check for tuition, you’re going to see tuitions go up and up and up, and eventually we all foot that bill. So we have to do two things at the same time,” O’Malley said. “We have to increase degree attainment and bring down costs.” O’Malley’s multi-part plan calls for immediately freezing state tuition rates, then ultimately tying tuition to no more than 10 percent of state median income at four-year public universities. He would also allow students to refinance their loans at lower interest rates. O’Malley’s announcement comes at a time when nearly 70% of college students graduate in debt and students collectively owe some $1.3 trillion in loans, a cost many economists say is a significant drain on the economy. Progressives were quick to endorse O’Malley’s plan. “Martin O’Malley‘s belief that debt-free college must be accessible to all students, and must apply to all public colleges and universities, is spot on — and we look forward to seeing the plans of others,” said Adam Green, co-founder, Progressive Change Campaign Committee. Meantime, Jeb Bush, a Republican candidate for president, dismissed O’Malley’s plan as “more free stuff.” ## Transcript The Department of Education handed down a major victory to the students of now defunct Corinthian Colleges. On Monday, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said the Federal Government will relieve the student load debt of tens of thousands of people who attended any of the school's now shuttered locations. This morning, my office filed suit against Corinthian Colleges. And in what can only be described as a for- profit college predatory scheme. Corinthian Colleges once enrolled more than 70, 000 students across the country in 100 different Different locations. but the for- profit institution had been under scrutiny from federal and state regulators for years. The final nail in its coffin came when it was fined $ 30 million for exaggerating job placement for graduates, which some say was a form of fraud because it led to students taking on a large amount of debt for an education that wouldn't pay it back. More than 350, 000 students have taken out a loan to attend a [ UNKNOWN ] college since 2010, meaning the government could be biting the bullet on about $ 3. 5 billion in debt. The reputation of [ UNKNOWN ] profit colleges is already hurting, and the troubles at [ UNKNOWN ] colleges haven't helped. The University of Phoenix, the nation's largest [ UNKNOWN ] profit college, Has seen its enrollment cut in half since a 2010 report from the U. S. Senate. That report outlined a whole host of abuses against students. Including predatory lending, and offering poor academic quality. In fact, consumerist reports all six of the biggest for profit schools listed in that report have seen a decline in numbers over the last five years. On July first the Obama administration will put in place new rules holding for profit universities more accountable for their students' career success. Federal funding could be cut off if those colleges can't show that graduates earn enough to pay off debt. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3950251/martin-omalley-bernie-sanders-college/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3950251/martin-omalley-bernie-sanders-college/"},"headline":"Martin O'Malley Unveils Debt-Free College Plan","datePublished":"2015-07-08T21:02:49.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-19T07:41:44.811Z","description":"He criticized a rival plan from Vermont Sen. 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