Galbraith unveils $45.4 million plan for free state college tuition

Jasper Craven:

The plan would grant free tuition to the five state colleges — including Vermont Technical College — while offering free or reduced tuition for University of Vermont students who qualify for Pell Grants.

Galbraith said free tuition would keep more young people in the Green Mountain State. He added that the plan would reduce or eliminate college debt for many, which he said could spur investments in homes and create new Vermont families.

If enacted, the plan would be available to all Vermont high school graduates, roughly 8,000 students.

The $45.4 million required to pay for tuition would come mostly from repealing tax breaks for the wealthy.

Galbraith has identified a handful of tax breaks he vowed to end as governor, totaling $25.4 million in annual state revenue. The largest chunk of tax revenue — $4 million — would come from applying Vermont sales tax to online cloud-based services.

He would get an additional $2 million by scrapping the Vermont Employment Growth Incentive, which rewards businesses financially for staying in the state. Galbraith would instead like to see VEGI money allocated as loans