"Education should be a right, not a privilege. We need a revolution in the way that the United States funds higher education."
~ Sen. Bernie Sanders

"Every person in this country who has the desire and ability should be able to get all the education they need regardless of the income of their family. This is not a radical idea. In Germany, Scandinavia and many other countries, higher education is either free or very inexpensive. We must do the same."
~ Sen. Bernie Sanders

"Fifty years ago, great schools like the University of California and the City University of New York - as well as many state colleges - were tuition free. Today college is unaffordable for many working class families. For the sake of our economy and millions of Americans, we must make higher education more affordable."
~ Sen. Bernie Sanders

"How can the United States be competitive globally if higher education is unaffordable? Germany, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Scotland and Sweden have no tuition for college. Other countries have low tuition. We need the best educated workforce in the world. Instead of spending endless amounts on the military, we need to invest in our young people."
~ Sen. Bernie Sanders

"In Germany, college tuition is free. In America, college tuition is increasingly unaffordable. In a highly competitive global economy, which country do you think will have the best educated work force and a competitive advantage? We must make tuition free in public colleges and universities and substantially reduce interest rates on student loans."
~ Sen. Bernie Sanders

"It is beyond my comprehension why today in America, hundreds of thousands of bright young people are unable to go to college -- for one reason: that their family lacks the funding. And together we are going to change that."
~ Sen. Bernie Sanders

"Student debt is crushing the lives of millions of Americans. How does it happen that we can get a home mortgage or purchase a car with interest rates half of that being paid for student loans? We must make higher education affordable for all. We must substantially lower interest rates on student loans. This must be a national priority."
~ Sen. Bernie Sanders

"We are moving in exactly the wrong direction in higher education. Forty years ago, tuition in some of the great American public universities and colleges was virtually free. Today, the cost is unaffordable for many working class families. Higher education must be a right for all - not just wealthy families."
~ Sen. Bernie Sanders

"We have got to make sure that every qualified American in this country who wants to go to college can go to college -- regardless of income."
~ Sen. Bernie Sanders

"We must fundamentally restructure our student loan program. It makes no sense that students and their parents are forced to pay interest rates for higher education loans that are much higher than they pay for car loans or housing mortgages."
~ Sen. Bernie Sanders

"We need a movement that says in a highly competitive global economy all of our kids who have the ability, the qualifications and the desire, will be able to get a college education regardless of income because we will make public colleges and universities tuition free."
~ Sen. Bernie Sanders

"We need the best educated workforce in the world. Hundreds of thousands of bright, young, qualified people who want to go to college or get a higher education are unable to do so, not because they lack the ability but because they lack the money."
~ Sen. Bernie Sanders