--- title: Lawmakers in Ten States Call for Debt-Free College description: Lawmakers in ten states will announce a new push for legislation on Monday that would make attending public colleges debt-free. canonical: https://time.com/4137427/lawmakers-in-ten-states-push-for-debt-free-college/ author: Sam Frizell article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-12-07T17:47:57.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:46:50.888Z article:section: Politics og:title: Lawmakers in Ten States Call for Debt-Free College og:description: Lawmakers in ten states will announce a new push for legislation on Monday that would make attending public colleges debt-free. og:url: https://time.com/4137427/lawmakers-in-ten-states-push-for-debt-free-college/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt499b00cfb2856958/698873e82dce01224f9e6ca1/gettyimages-496450084.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: University of Missouri President Resigns As Protests Grow over Racism og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Lawmakers in Ten States Call for Debt-Free College twitter:description: Lawmakers in ten states will announce a new push for legislation on Monday that would make attending public colleges debt-free. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt499b00cfb2856958/698873e82dce01224f9e6ca1/gettyimages-496450084.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Lawmakers in Ten States Push for Debt-Free College > Sponsored content. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### 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. by [Sam Frizell](https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Dec 7, 2015 5:47 PM UTC  Students walk about on the campus of University of Missouri - Columbia on November 9, 2015 in Columbia, Missouri. Students walk about on the campus of University of Missouri - Columbia on November 9, 2015 in Columbia, Missouri.Michael B. Thomas—Getty Images by [Sam Frizell](https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Dec 7, 2015 5:47 PM UTC Local lawmakers in ten states including New Hampshire, Iowa and Massachusetts announced a new push for legislation on Monday to make attending public colleges in their states debt-free. The state legislators are introducing different pieces of the debt-free college agenda as well as resolutions and study committees. The effort is part of a national campaign among progressives to make college more affordable, a push that has swayed the Democratic candidates for president. “From New Hampshire to Iowa, and all across the nation, voters want students to be able to graduate from college without debt,” said Kayla Wingbermuehle, campaign director of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, the organization spearheading the effort. Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton has called for a $350 billion proposal that would make public universities debt-free across the country. Her plan involves allowing students to refinance their loans and cutting interest rates, requiring states to increase investment in higher education and providing grants to the states. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has also called for tuition-free college. Many of the Republican candidates for president have called for more accountability at public colleges, and less federal involvement in tuition. The national college debt has skyrocketed in recent years, with Americans holding more than $1.3 trillion in outstanding college loans, according to the St. Louis Federal Reserve. Economists say the debt burden hurts young Americans’ buying power and drags on the economy. The lawmakers introducing legislation in their states are State Rep. Kaniela Ing (HI), State Rep. Chris Hall (IA), State Rep. Paul Mark (MA), State Sen. Maria Chappelle Nadal (MO), State Rep. Stephanie Howse (OH), State Rep. Marjorie Porter (NH), State Rep. Will Guzzardi (IL), State Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter (SC) and State Rep. 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