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Democratic nominee's policy leaves 'broken' system intact, experts fear. John Morgan reports
"This is a major initiative that will revolutionise higher education in this country and improve the lives of so many of our people." So said Bernie Sanders of Hillary Clinton's plan for "debt-free" public higher education, in the July speech in which he endorsed his former rival for the Democratic presidential nomination.
One of Mr Sanders' attention-grabbing pledges, highly popular with his supporters, had been to abolish tuition fees in public higher education and make it free for all. Ms Clinton's original campaign policy on college stated that students should not have to borrow to pay for tuition, books or fees, but would have required families to make "an affordable and realistic family contribution".
However, in July she went further and committed to a plan that would mean that by 2021 students from families with income up to $125,000 (£95,000) will pay no tuition fees at in-state four-year public colleges and universities, a pledge covering 80 per cent of US families, according to her campaign.
Supporters of the plan will say that in the world's most important, and most marketised, higher education system, it could mark an important shift towards seeing higher education as a public good accessible to all.
Ms Clinton's revamping of her policy was seen...