Higher Education News

Read the Letter.

A national coalition of organizations including the United States Student Association, U.S. PIRG, the AFL-CIO and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities today sent a letter to all members of Congress urging them to address critical priorities in American higher education.  The letter focused on four key points:

• *   Increase need-based grant aid by raising the maximum Pell Grant award.
• *   Make student loans more affordable by lowering interest rates, limiting the percentage of income students spend repaying loans and expanding loan forgiveness programs for critical public service careers.
• *   Cut waste in the student loan programs by reducing taxpayer subsidies and redirecting those funds to increase student aid and limit debt burden.
• *   Make student loans more fair by passing regulations that limit conflicts of interest, make the relationships between colleges and lenders more transparent, and require schools and lenders to inform students of their right to shop around for the best deal.

On Wednesday, June 13th the House Education and Labor Committee is scheduled to discuss and vote on legislation that address student grant and loan programs.