In education, both Democrats and Republicans are looking for a means to an end.
Stressing dedication to higher education and family values, candidates are fine-tuning proposals and debating the merits of different plans all geared to make higher education more accessible for Americans, as the newest education package awaits trial in the U.S. House Appropriations Committee.
In a teleconference Friday, Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) highlighted President Clinton's latest education proposals.
"Education becomes a much greater importance as we've been trying to increase the incomes for working people," Levin said.
Two plans proposed by President Clinton within the last few months target families and students in several situations. The first proposal gives students a $1,500 tax credit for the first year of college, renewable for a second year if the student maintains a B average and stays off drugs.
The second plan, the Hope Scholarship fund, has two clauses. Middle-income families would be eligible for a $10,000 per year, per family tax deduction or a $1,500 tax credit for the first two years of college for each child.
Levin said most families who pay taxes and send a child to a four-year college would qualify for the tax deduction, but that either plan would ensure that students could afford at least two years of a community college education.
Romney will "depart from her other colleagues on higher education," said Romney spokesperson Trent Wisecup.
"(Romney's) not opposed to (the Hope Scholarship)," Wisecup said. "If she had a preference, she would get a 15-percent income tax cut across the board, so individuals can decide what they want to do with the money. She won't be overtly critical to Clinton's plan because she understands college tuition is increasing."
Republican plans are less specific in terms of target families and allocations, but call for tax cuts to free up more money to send children to community and four-year colleges.
Both Republicans and Democrats are proposing that federal actions can and should help students afford higher education.
LSA senior Scott Nelson said a tax credit for students and families is a proposal that would cut some of the red tape out of student financial aid processes.
"Give students a tax credit instead of cycling through the tax programs - why not just eliminate some of the bureaucracy?" Nelson said.
Judith Harper of the University's financial aid office said the office regularly researches financial aid legislation, but that the office has not completed research on the newest Democratic or Republican proposals because they are still in the "talking stages."
The target and funding of the president's plans make them more viable and cost-effective than the Republican plan, Levin asserted. Levin said the plan would not call for cuts in Medicare or Medicaid, a highly debated provision of a Republican plan, but would be funded through a new tax on corporations that money abroad.
Levin said officials at Mott Community College told him on a recent visit that colleges could expect to see an increase in enrollment if programs like the Hope Scholarship are approved.