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KEA President on Growing Student Debt, Fall Political Season

Kentucky Education Association, via Facebook

The leader of a major Kentucky education group wants the next president to tackle the growing amount of student debt piling up in the U.S.

Stephanie Winkler is president of the Kentucky Education Association. She says the estimated $1.3 trillion in debt owed to colleges and universities is turning many young Americans away from higher education.

“It’s have and have nots, as far as who has access to higher education, and that’s something we’re focused on that has got to change," Winkler says.

Winkler was in Washington this week for the National Education Association’s Annual Meeting. The NEA has endorsed Democrat Hillary Clinton for president.

Winkler says she believes Clinton will include educators in policy meetings that impact America’s classrooms. “A lot of those people are not education practitioners, and so we feel like Hillary Clinton will not only give us a seat at the table, but will listen, and take our advice on good education policy," she says.

Clinton wants to allow borrowers to refinance their student loans at rates currently available for new loans. Republican Donald Trump hasn’t released details on a student loan plan.

Kevin is the News Director at WKU Public Radio. He has been with the station since 1999, and was previously the Assistant News Director, and also served as local host of Morning Edition. He is a broadcast journalism graduate of WKU, and has won numerous awards for his reporting and feature production. Kevin grew up in Radcliff, Kentucky and currently lives in Glasgow.
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