To be successful in the 21st Century economy, America’s workforce must be more innovative and productive than our competitors. That means better science, math, and job training opportunities and it also means giving every American the opportunity of four years of college. John Kerry’s “College Opportunity Tax Credit” will make four years of college affordable for all Americans. He will provide a credit for each and every year of college on the first $4,000 paid in tuition – the typical tuition and fees at a public college or university. Kerry’s tax credit will be refundable for our most economically vulnerable students and for those who receive other credits.

John Kerry’s “Service for College” initiative will offer Americans the chance to earn the equivalent of their state's four-year public college tuition in exchange for two years of service. Kerry will set a goal within the next decade of enlisting 500,000 young people a year in Service for College.

The Bush economic policies have left states with nearly $90 billion in budget deficits, and have forced cuts to higher education budgets, resulting in higher tuition, increased class sizes, and cuts to counseling, tutoring, and remedial coursework. Rising tuitions often mean that students have to drop out and others cannot afford to come. As part of his “State Tax Relief and Education Fund” Kerry will help states struggling to bridge deficits resulting from Bush’s economic policies with $25 billion to stop the education cuts and tuition increases across the country. The additional resources Kerry is proposing will be conditioned on better and smarter use of the higher education money. Kerry believes that colleges and universities should work to make the higher education system more efficient, without sacrificing quality, by streamlining services and reducing duplication.  For example, if state colleges and universities banded together to make bulk purchases of things such as health care for employees, energy, supplies, and other services it would save millions of dollars annually.

Too many young people in America are either not planning to go to college or are not prepared when they get there.  Many grow up believing that a college education is out of reach. John Kerry is proposing a new ‘I Have a Dream’ scholarship that provides an additional $1,000 for students to participate in an early intervention programs to prepare for college. Early intervention can reduce the large number of college students who drop out of college or who need remedial courses. Kerry supports high school reform including: encouraging more states to allow 11th or 12th graders to take college courses; ensuring that Advanced Placement programs are available in all schools; strengthening math, science, and writing instruction, and expanding early intervention efforts like the Gear-Up and TRIO programs for students who are at risk of dropping out of school.

The graduation rate at 4-year colleges has fallen to 54 percent. One factor is rising tuitions, which are forcing many students to drop out. As part of his “State Tax Relief and Education Fund” Kerry will help states struggling to bridge deficits resulting from Bush’s economic policies with $50 billion to stop the education cuts and tuition increases across the country. In addition to providing assistance to our higher education system, he also believes that colleges and universities need to do a better job of supporting students and ensuring that they graduate and are prepared to fill the jobs of the future. Evidence suggests that better counseling and support services will help keep students in college as will greater exchange programs among institutions – if a needed course is unavailable at one school. Also, students are often unable to transfer credits between community colleges and 4-year institutions, which forces students to sometimes needlessly repeat classes. Kerry will encourage colleges and universities to better target services to keep students from leaving school.

For over 30 years, Title IX has helped open the doors of opportunity in education for millions of girls and young women. Title IX has enabled greater numbers of women and girls to participate in sports, receive scholarships, and obtain other important benefits that result from participating in sports. Despite this progress, the Bush Administration is considering many proposals to change Title IX that could undercut participation opportunities and scholarship dollars for women and girls, as well as other Title IX protections.  John Kerry will defend Title IX and work to expand college opportunities for women.