Romney suggests linking college aid to careers
DAVENPORT, Iowa --Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said Wednesday that he would like to link college financial aid to the jobs students pursue after graduation.
He offered no specifics on what careers would warrant more money for a student during their undergraduate years, such as whether a future lawyer, doctor, teacher or social worker would receive more aid than a future economist or engineer.
"I like the idea of linking the level of support that we're able to provide to young people going to college to the contributions they're going to make to our society," Romney told more than 200 people at an event at a Davenport hotel, one of three stops in the state Wednesday.
At a town hall-style event in Clinton, a woman asked for his position on helping families with children get access to health care, and on children's issues in general.
In response, Romney talked about building strong, two-parent families and keeping jobs in the U.S. so people can stay employed. He noted the health care system that was put in place in Massachusetts when he was governor has helped families with children.
"It really helps if you have two parents," Romney said.
He also complimented comedian Bill Cosby for speaking out, most recently on one of the Sunday television talk shows, about personal responsibility and black families.
"By the way, hats off to Bill Cosby," Romney said. "At least where I spent the last 30 years in Massachusetts, boy, if we could have more married couples in the inner city it would be a huge help for our kids."
On the high cost of college, Romney said his plan to end taxes on savings for those who earn $200,000 or less would enable parents to save more for their children's education.
He noted his support for scholarships based on merit, such as a program he supported as Massachusetts governor that provided free in-state tuition to students with high scores on the state's standardized exams.
As governor, Romney said he also began a program that gave full tuition at state universities to those who served in the National Guard.
"Those kinds of principles make a difference," Romney said. "So I would look to see if we can't find a way to link our programs to reward excellence, to reward people that are able to make a contribution to our society in the military or in other ways."
Asked by an audience member why young people aren't more engaged in the political process, Romney said they don't feel the same sense of urgency about issues facing the country.
"Maybe it's partly our fault, those of us that are running for office," Romney said. "We don't spend more time on campus and we probably should spend some more time with students and say, 'Guys get involved, get educated.'"
Asked about his frequent criticism of Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton, Romney said he mentions other Democrats but acknowledged that she most frequently draws his attention.
"She's said some of the most unusual things, and represents perhaps a very dramatic departure from the path America has followed. But I'm usually equal opportunity in my criticism of the Democratic (candidates)," he said. "I'll make sure I include the others as well." 