Endorsements

Our endorsers represent the nation’s first intergenerational alliance for reforming higher education.

Honorable James Blanchard Former Governor of Michigan

"As governor of Michigan, I created the first tuition guarantee program in the nation, the Michigan Education Trust. We used the power of our state government to enable families to save for their children’s education. Now, with the rising cost of college tuition making it even more difficult for cashed-strapped families to give their children the same opportunities, I am pleased to join the effort to educate everyone about the Campaign for Free College Tuition--to make college tuition free and help restore the American dream."

Michael Castle Former Governor and Congressman, DE

"The effort to be able to bring college within the means of every individual who wants to attend college and has the academic ability to do so is something which I think is badly needed in the United States of America."

Honorable Bob Carr Former Congressman, D-MI

"Every person in this great land of ours, should have the opportunity for a college degree without cost to themselves or their families. Without that key opportunity, the promise of equal opportunity - just - does - NOT – happen.”

William Brodhead Former Congressman, D-MI

"If I were the benevolent dictator, higher education, at least at public institutions, would be free for everybody. The fact that kids can't go to college because it costs too much results in enormous waste of our most valuable natural resource."

Morley Winograd Former Senior Policy Adviser to Vice President Al Gore

"Our current system for financing higher education is wrong headed from an inter-generational perspective and economically disastrous. It needs to end before America loses its global competitive edge for good. Just as America made primary school education mandatory and free in the 19^th century and a high school education universally available and free in the 20^th century, we need to make college tuition free in the 21^st century."

Laird Harris Former Chief Policy Assistant for Washington Governor Booth Gardner

"In the early 1960s, with the help of NDEA loans and a small scholarship, I was able to receive a top notch education at a very good college. Some of the loans were forgiven as a result of my military service and all were paid off by the time I entered graduate school on the GI Bill. The CFCT plan can bring similar government support to current and future generations of students."

Doug Ross Former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Education and Training

"In 21st century America, it's long past due to expand our free K-12 system into a free K-16 system in the name of both opportunity and future prosperity.&rdquo

Simon Rosenberg President and Founder of NDNp

"Ensuring that America has a well-educated workforce that isn’t crippled by student loan debt is a bold cause that would have a positive benefit for all. I applaud CFCT’s historic commitment to free universal education by making public colleges tuition free in all 50 states."

Harris Miller Former CEO of Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities

"By working at a steel mill during the summers, a car wash in the winters, and earning scholarships, I had enough to pay for college without enormous student loans. Today’s prohibitive college tuition levels would make that outcome impossible. The higher education funding system doesn’t need tweaks; it needs to be ripped out root and branch and replaced with a system for the 21^st Century--free college tuition; manageable student loans; incentives for schools to control inflation."

David Wolf Co-Founder Campaign for College Opportunity

"For students and families, communities and our nation, equal access to, and completion of, higher education must become an American priority. The Campaign for Free College Tuition is a major step to that end."

Cryn Johannsen Founder and Executive Director of All Education Matters, Inc.

"Higher education should unleash creative potential. It shouldn't wind up being an instrument of punishment through permanent indebtedness. That not only hurts borrowers, it hurts the strength of the United States of America.”

Robert Shapiro Chairman and Chief Executive of Sonecon, LLC

“Here’s an ingenious and efficient way to address, at once, our country’s urgent need to expand access to higher education and limit the debt burdens on those who pursue it.”

Michael J. Carter Founder and CEO, Strive for College

"College costs have outpaced inflation with no end in sight. It's time to make a college education both accessible and cost-effective.”

Gregg Crawford CEO of The Bay Group

"One of the most important current and ongoing issues facing Americans is ever increasing college debt. In many ways our competitive future is at risk if the college debt problem is not solved. I am proud to be associated with an organization that has a solution to fix this problem permanently.”

Rick Wiener Former COS to Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm

"My parents and their parents created a system of public education that gave my generation economic opportunities in the 20^th century. It’s time for my generation to continue this legacy by making college tuition free and to create the economic opportunities of the 21^st century.”

Deirdre Roney Activist and Philanthropist

"Currently, we prevent our children from being sufficiently educated to advance either themselves or our country. Those few who manage to get educated despite our system are prevented from reaching their potential, because they are crushed by tuition debts. The Campaign for Free College Tuition urges us to invest in intelligent, hard-working young people, because they are our collective future. It's common sense and the right thing to do."

Donald W. Nielsen Ph.D., Former Professor & Chair, Speech and Hearing Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis

"I am proud to endorse this organization, which has a well-reasoned plan to make college tuition free without increasing taxes, burdening future generations or increasing the nation's overall debt. There is no more sustainable way to halt the growth of economic inequality in our country than to execute this plan."

Honorable Bill Halter Former Lt. Governor of Arkansas

Honorable Ray LaHood Former Congressman, IL and Transportation Secretary

Howard Berman Former Congressman, CA

Dennis Hertel Former Congressman, MI

Elaine Kamarck Former Lecturer in Public Policy, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

Bill Deresiewicz New York Times Bestelling Author,

Excellent Sheep

“We recognize that free, quality K-12 education is a right of citizenship. We also need to recognize—as we once did and as many countries still do—that the same is true of higher education.”