INVESTING IN EDUCATION TO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ALL

A Real Plan to Leave No Child Behind.  George Bush has underfunded No Child Left Behind by almost $27 billion, shortchanging America’s children and making it impossible for schools to meet the demands of the new law.  John Kerry will fully fund No Child Left Behind and education for students with disabilities with a new “National Education Trust Fund.” He will also make sure that the rules under NCLB make sense and achieve the Act’s purposes.

A New ‘State Tax Relief and Education Fund’.  Bush’s economic policies have left states with nearly $90 billion in budget deficits, forcing lay offs, education cuts, and tax increases. This fund will help states struggling to bridge deficits resulting from Bush’s economic policies with an additional $25 billion to stop the education cuts, tuition increases, and tax and fee raising that are inhibiting our economic growth and causing layoffs.

Expand After-School to 3.5 Million Children and Make Child Care More Affordable.  Today, about 1 in 3 middle school students care for themselves after school, hours during which students are more likely to encounter drugs, alcohol and gangs.  Kerry has offered a new plan to expand after school care programs to keep schools open “’til 6” for 3.5 million children.  John Kerry will also raise the child care tax credit to cover the first $5,000 of expenses per child (currently the limit is $3,000). In addition, Kerry will ensure that the credit benefits moderate-income families by making it partially refundable. And Kerry will allow stay at-home moms of infants receive support from the tax credit.

Support At-Risk Youth and Serve 2 Million Children Through GEAR UP: GEAR UP asks universities to adopt entire grade levels of students in high-poverty schools to provide mentoring and counseling to encourage more kids to go to college.  John Kerry will expand GEAR UP by two-thirds so that it will serve 2 million children each year.  Kerry will also provide support to Youth Build, a program he helped found that provides support to at-risk youth. 
 
Make College More Affordable With Tax Credits and Service Plan.  Over the last three years, tuition at a public university has increased by a record 35%--over $1200.  John Kerry has a plan that will help all Americans afford college by providing a tax credit on up to $4000 of college tuition for all four years.  John Kerry’s service plan will engage half a million Americans per year in service within 10 years. 

Simplify the Financial Aid Process.  To make it easier for students and families to learn how student aid will help them pay for college, John Kerry will create faster applications by allowing students to get estimates on their financial aid packages beginning in their junior year of high school.  Kerry will also create simpler applications, including an “EZ” form.