Gov. Walker, democrats can’t agree on how to help college students

Walker was in
La Crosse on Monday

Wisconsin governor Scott Walker was at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse on Monday touting his plan to help college students. 

Wisconsin’s republican governor and democratic legislative leaders aren’t finding much common ground on how to keep college affordable.

Walker made several stops Monday, including the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where he said state colleges have been helped by the tuition freeze he put in place to stop regular increases that occurred under previous governors.

Senator Jennifer Shilling of La Crosse would like the state to let students refinance their school debt.

“If the governor wants to help and have the greatest impact for citizens in Wisconsin, being allowed to refinance your student loan debt, that is the vehicle that will impact the most people,” Schilling said. “Over 800,000 people in Wisconsin have student loan debt of $19 billion.”

Walker says the idea supported by Shilling hasn’t worked in other places. And Walker should know a thing or two about debt. As of November, he was still an estimated $1 million in debt from his failed presidential campaign, and has since begun soliciting donations to help pay it off.

An email he sent out read, in part (pictured at right is his contribution page): “As things changed dramatically in the presidential race, ‘Walker for America’ incurred a campaign debt and it is my hope that you and all of our supporters will chip in and make an online contribution of $10, $35, $50, $100, $250, or more so we can end this campaign in the black. It is a lot to ask, I know, but we feel personally obligated to make sure that every small business that extended us their good faith and credit is repaid.”

The state ranks third in the U.S. with 70 percent of students leaving Wisconsin colleges and universities with some amount of debt, according to Institute for College Access and Success’ Project on Student Debt. The study also showed the state ranked 17^th in average debt at $28,810 upon graduation.