Cleveland

Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore has launched a plan to widen college access by making tuition tax-deductible, giving tax credits and deductions for college saving, keeping down interest rates on student loans, and expanding programmes to help disadvantaged students get to college. Democrats claim that the plan should raise the attendance rate to 75 per cent by 2010. It also seeks to raise the college graduation level to 50 per cent of college-age Americans by 2010.