Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders want to make public college free for everyone, even the wealthy. But Pete Buttigieg, who wants an income limit, disagrees.
A new policy debate is brewing between the left wing of the Democratic presidential field and Pete Buttigieg, a more moderate candidate, over eliminating public college tuition — and the dispute has scrambled the usual rhetorical lines.
The Democratic field is largely united in calling for free college tuition in at least some circumstances. But left-leaning candidates like Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren want universal programs, meaning public colleges and universities would be free for anyone, regardless of income. Mr. Buttigieg, by contrast, recently released a plan that would not apply to families earning more than $150,000 a year.
“I believe we should move to make college affordable for everybody,” he said in an ad released last week. “There are some voices saying, ‘Well, that doesn’t count unless you go even further — unless it’s even free for the kids of millionaires.’ But I only want to make promises that we can keep.”