Sanders vs. Warren: Whose student debt plan is better?

How these two left-wing populists' proposals stack up

Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Scott Eisen/Getty Images, Alex Wong/Getty Images, channarongsds/iStock, str33tcat/iStock)

This week, Sen. Bernie Sanders announced his latest big policy idea in his bid for the Democrats' 2020 presidential nomination: He wants to wipe out all $1.6 trillion of Americans' student debt. Every last cent.

A few weeks ago, Sen. Elizabeth Warren proposed a plan that, while it didn't go that far, is still estimated to eliminate all student debt for 75 percent of the 45 million people who owe it, and reduce at least some of the debt for 95 percent. Others in the Democratic primary have proposed more modest plans, but for sheer scope and ambition, Warren and Sanders are the ones to beat.

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Jeff Spross

Jeff Spross was the economics and business correspondent at TheWeek.com. He was previously a reporter at ThinkProgress.