Should NH support federal efforts for debt-free public higher education?

Rep. Majorie Porter has sponsored a concurrent resolution declaring that the New Hampshire Legislature would support efforts in the U.S. House and Senate to pass legislation that would help students have access to higher education at public colleges and universities without going into debt.

Concurrent resolutions such as Porter’s HCR 2 serve as statements of the sentiment of a legislative body but do not have the force of actual laws.

The text of HCR 2 notes the importance to New Hampshire of a well-educated workforce, the key role of higher education in upward mobility, and the burden of student debt, which is particularly high for students who have attended New Hampshire schools. Action toward debt-free higher education at the federal level would mean more money for New Hampshire to devote to lowering the cost of college.

Opponents counter that higher education is an investment, and that students choose to accept debt in order to earn more money down the road. They note that there are already programs in place to help lower-income students afford college, and express concerns about the impact that debt-free higher education policies might have on tax rates.

Your voice counts! We plan to present a summary of this discussion to your elected officials in Concord at the public hearing on HCR 2, the bill related to this question. Only responses from New Hampshire residents will be counted. Please indicate if you are from NH somewhere in your response.