With the presidential election only two months away, topics such as education continue to be in the forefront of the debate – especially among democrats. Senator Tim Kaine recently wrote an article for Time Magazine on Affordable Higher Education, and in the piece he describes how different the educational landscape is now compared to when he attended college in the 1970s.

With many students unable to afford college, the University of Massachusetts just made it easier. With a $158 million supplemental budget approved by the Legislature and signed by the Governor, $10.9 million will be distributed to the University of Massachusetts with $7 million of that dedicated for student scholarships.

It’s no surprise that as the cost of undergraduate and graduate programs continues to soar, the heavy weight of student debt will burden students for years far beyond their graduation date. However, soon it will become even harder for students with limited financial options to receive manageable financial aid to pay for their college education. Recently, the Senate blocked legislation to extend the longstanding Perkins loan program which has since expired.