Spiraling tuition rates at U.S. colleges and universities, and mounting concern about student loan debt, have made college affordability a key policy objective for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Implementation of Clinton’s proposals for tuition-free colleges and community colleges would require Congressional approval—and cooperation between federal and state government agencies, according to Jennifer Delaney, an associate professor in the Department of Education Policy, Organization & Leadership and an expert on higher education finance.

Clinton recently revised her plan for higher education, promising to eliminate tuition for in-state students who attend public colleges and universities, as well as for students at community colleges.

In a question-and-answer session with Illinois News Bureau education editor Sharita Forrest, Delaney discussed the provisions in the plan for states and colleges to hold down tuition rates and whether the plan might stem the decline of state funding for higher education.

Read the full interview with Delaney.