Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a potential Democrat candidate for president, outlined his plan for higher education in a speech at Dartmouth College. (Photo by Steven Ferdman/Getty Images)Getty ImagesFormer Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel introduced what he’s calling his “grand bargain" for higher education yesterday in a speech at Dartmouth College. Emanuel, widely believed to be considering a run for president as a Democrat in 2028, said the the cost of education had turned higher education into a burden rather than a benefit for many families, and his plan emphasizes affordability as a key feature.Emanuel’s proposal, which can be viewed here, consists of the following planks:1. The federal government needs to end the war against higher education being waged by the Trump administration. Pointing to America’s colleges and universities as one of the nation’s greatest assets and drivers of economic prosperity, Emanuel said that institutions need certainty and support from the federal government, not the constant attacks and criticism that they’ve sustained under Trump.2. Free tuition would be provided to students from families earning less than $200,000 annually. That offer would cover about 80% of families in the United States. For families with annual incomes exceeding $200,000, yearly tuition increases would be capped at the rate of inflation. Emanuel said that rising student debt meant that rather than a ticket to independence, a college education had become a “ticket to their parents’ basement” for many students. 3. Colleges would offer students the option of three-year bachelor’s degrees if they have earned at least 20% of required college credits while in high school through mechanism such as dual credit, dual enrollment, AP classes or the international baccalaureate curriculum. Students would not be required to pursue accelerated degrees, but they would have them as an option under Emanuel’s plan. MORE FOR YOU4. Enrollment of international students would be capped at 20% per institution (compared to the 15% ceiling that the Trump administration has proposed). Because they would pay full price, Emanuel said foreign students would help subsidize American students. 5. Emanuel also called for a 10% reduction in college administrative expenses, which he would achieve, in part, by reducing regulatory burdens such as the income verification process currently associated with applications for federal loans, which is estimated to cost colleges about $500 million a year.Throughout his remarks, Emanuel pointed to his education record while mayor of Chicago, which included closing underperforming schools and supporting free community college for students with a good academic record.“College isn’t for everybody, but it has to change so it returns to the idea that it’s a way to punch your meal ticket,” Emanuel told The New York Times. “Right now, it’s a burden."Among possible Democrat contenders for the presidency, Emanuel is the first out of the gate with a plan for higher education. It lacks details at this time, and its price tag has yet to be calculated, but its main policies will appeal to a progressive base, and its attention to affordability and access will likely resonate with many Americans. However it’s not clear how higher education officials will react to the plan. Cutting red tape will be embraced, but a cap on international enrollments and a requirement to develop three-year baccalaureate programs will probably receive pushback.