Clinton's New College Plan Feels The Bern

Presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton sounds like she's feeling a bit of the Bern. In an announcement on Wednesday, Clinton presented a new plan for college affordability. According to her campaign's statement, the plan would allow every student to graduate from an in-state, four-year public college or university without taking on any student debt. If a family has an income of up to $125,000, it will pay no tuition. The plan would be phased in over five years, with families earning $85,000 or less annually receiving immediate tuition assistance. The plan also provides borrowers with a three-month moratorium on their federal student loan payments and an opportunity to refinance to save money. The statement ends with an August 2015, Clinton quote:

We need to make a quality education affordable and available to everyone willing to work for it, without saddling them with decades of debt.

It does seem as though Bernie Sanders is rubbing off on the presumptive nominee. It's hard to find an article about Clinton's new plan that doesn't mention the self-proclaimed Democratic socialist's influence somewhere. Sanders himself praised Clinton's new plan on Wednesday, thanking her and calling it a "very bold initiative" that combines ideals they had during the primaries.

The new plan no doubt comes in an effort to rally the much-needed Sanders supporters around Clinton. Since Clinton presumptively secured the nomination, many Berners have felt betrayed by the Democratic establishment. A Washington Post/ABC News poll from May found that 20 percent of Sanders supporters said they would go so far as vote for Trump come November, a real threat to Clinton's chances of winning the election. If Clinton bends her policies on issues Sanders supporters are passionate about — particularly his young supporters —she could see that group say #ImWithHer.

On Wednesday, Sanders said, “We are working with Secretary Clinton on some initiatives." He added, “I hope we can reach an agreement on them sooner rather than later.”

Just what initiatives he is referring to remains to be seen — and maybe Clinton shouldn't celebrate too much just yet. The slippery statesman from Vermont still has not endorsed Clinton and he still has not withdrawn from the election. Make no mistake, Sanders' endorsement would be a huge get for Clinton, but how much more is she going to have to bend before Sanders finally agrees to unite for good remains to be seen

Image: Bustle/Dawn Foster