STORY: ::September 13, 2024

::Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

::Kamala Harris vows to cut college requirements

for certain federal jobs, among economic offers

::Kamala Harris, Democratic presidential candidate

“As president, I will get rid of the unnecessary degree requirements for federal jobs to increase jobs for folks without a four-year degree, understanding that requiring a certain degree does not necessarily talk about one’s skills. And I will challenge the private sector to do the same.”

“Part of my plan that you heard about the other night, we’ll give a $50,000 tax deduction to start up small businesses, knowing that not everybody, like my opponent, got handed $40 million on a silver tray and then filed for bankruptcy six times.”

More than 62% of Americans aged 25 or older did not hold a bachelor’s degree, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau in early 2023. Americans without college degrees made up three out of five voters in 2020.

The Democratic presidential candidate said in her speech in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on Friday (September 13) the U.S. should recognize the value of paths to success beyond a college degree, like apprenticeships and technical programs.

A degree does not necessarily indicate a person’s skills, Harris said. She added: “And I will challenge the private sector to do the same.”

A survey by Gallup and Lumina Foundation released earlier this year found that many Americans are skeptical about the value and cost of college. Over half of U.S. adults who have never been enrolled or once were enrolled said the cost of education was a “very important” reason for them to not sign up or return to college.

Harris has previously said she will aim to pass a middle class tax cut, while Trump has advocated for cutting taxes on overtime pay. Both candidates have supported eliminating taxes on tips.