For Connie, it is unacceptable that college is unaffordable for most Oklahomans. A high school diploma in 2021 is hardly the minimum requirement for a job with a living wage. As Governor, Connie will work to make college affordable for all Oklahomans. She’ll fight for a debt-free education that allows Oklahomans to compete for high-wage jobs in a global, 21st Century economy. Connie supports student loan debt forgiveness. Soaring tuition costs at our state colleges and universities now far outpace inflation. The state legislature stopped properly funding higher education under the guise of “cutting taxes.” Accordingly, higher education state appropriations have continually gone down while tuition and fees have gone up. These rising tuition costs are preventing too many of Oklahoma’s and our nation’s poor and non-white populations from ever considering post-secondary education. Too many students who attend college in 2021 also work low-wage jobs, often more than one and often full-time. These low wages are simply not enough to help students keep up with tuition increases and the basic costs of living. Even after college graduation, many college grads find themselves working minimum wage jobs in this sluggish, post pandemic economy.