During a campaign stop yesterday at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, the Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich sought to sell students on his plan to make a college education free for anyone who then goes to work for the government.

The Michigan Daily reports that Mr. Kucinich characterized his education plan as distinguishing him from other candidates, and challenged his opponents to commit to offer tuition-free college educations. “If students go out there and vote for me, they’ll send a message: Start talking about education,” he said.

The rally was sponsored by Students for Kucinich and the university’s chapters of College Democrats and Students for Sensible Drug Policy.

Polls predict that Mr. Kucinich will not draw more than a small share of the vote today in Michigan’s Democratic primary, even though two of the three leading Democratic candidates, Barack Obama and John Edwards, have declined to put their names on the ballot, in response to the Michigan party’s decision to defy the Democratic National Committee by holdings its primary earlier than the DNC wished.