Each candidate in the U.S. Senate race – Mitch McConnell, Alison Lundergan Grimes and David Patterson(did not respond) – were given the opportunity to respond to a candidate questionnaire. The following is the response of the Republican candidate, U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell:
1. What do you think your plan and vision offers college students?
I will continue to focus on real solutions that help students financially prepare for school, give them the support they need to obtain a degree, and help create an economic environment that provides them with the career opportunities they seek once they graduate. I’ve worked across the aisle to keep student loan rates down in the past and I recently introduced a new bill to expand access for low-income families. I’ve been proud to support state qualified tuition programs, commonly known as 529 plans, and worked hard to ensure the earnings and distributions for these plans would be 100% tax free at the federal level. These plans help to ensure that our families can pay for their children’s higher education. Recently, I introduced a measure that would make these plans more accessible to low-to-middle income families who should be rewarded for paying for their child’s education, just like our students should be rewarded for their hard work.
2. Why should college students vote this November?
It’s a privilege to live in a free country where we’re given the right to choose who leads us and, as a U of L grad, I know that the students at our school take the responsibility that comes with it very seriously.
