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Currently showing results related to Aim Higher
Ranking Member Scott: DeVos Regulatory Agenda is an Ominous Sign for Students and Taxpayers
07.30.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Education announced plans to form a negotiated rulemaking committee to rewrite rules regarding accountability in higher education. "The regulatory agenda announced today by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is an ominous sign for students and taxpayers. The current rules governing oversight and accountability in higher education reflect the responsibility and intent of Congress to create a syste… Continue Reading
The Aim Higher Act: What People Are Saying
07.24.18 The Aim Higher Act ensures every student has a path to a debt-free college degree or credential that leads to a rewarding career. The Institute for College Access and Success: "Between investing in Pell Grants to help students afford college, streamlining income-driven repayment plans to help borrowers avoid default, and closing loopholes in critical college accountability measures, the Aim Higher Act includes key steps towards a higher education system that works better for students, families,… Continue Reading
Committee Democrats Unveil Vision for Higher Education
07.24.18 WASHINGTON - Today, all 17 Committee on Education and the Workforce Democrats are unveiling the Aim Higher Act - a comprehensive reauthorization of the Higher Education Act that reflects Democrats' vision for an accessible, affordable higher education system. The bill provides every student an opportunity to earn a debt-free degree that leads to a rewarding career. "The Aim Higher Act is a serious and comprehensive proposal to give every student the opportunity to earn a debt-free degree or cre… Continue Reading
Does President Trump’s Next VA Secretary Oppose the House GOP Higher Education Proposal?
07.12.18 WASHINGTON - In response to Questions for the Record submitted by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Dr. Robert Wilkie, President Trump's nominee to be the next Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), expressed strong support for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which encourages talented professionals to enter public service. The program is eliminated in House Republican higher education bill, the PROSPER Act (H.R. 4508). The VA Secretary nominee also recognized that the GI… Continue Reading
House Democratic Leaders Unveil A Better Deal: Tools to Succeed in the 21st Century
04.27.18 Alexandria, Virginia - Today, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats held a press conference at Northern Virginia Community College to unveil the newest plank of their bold economic agenda, A Better Deal: Tools to Succeed in the 21st Century, which focuses on Democrats' commitment to investing in America's workers, pioneering future frontiers and modernizing government. "Too many families have been left behind by technological change, and left wondering where they fit in the economy… Continue Reading
GAO Report: Shadowy Industry is Manipulating Student Loan Borrowers, Default Rates
04.26.18 Washington, D.C. - Today, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report - commissioned by Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) - revealing how the little-known but increasingly harmful "default management industry" is using misleading information, coercion, and even $25 gift cards to manipulate student loan default rates. In response to the report's findings, Mr. Takano and Ms. DeLauro joined the GAO in calling for improvements to the Cohort Default Rate (CD… Continue Reading
Bonamici Statement on Simplifying Student Loan Discharge for Disabled Veterans
04.17.18 WASHINGTON, DC [04/17/18] - Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, a leader on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement after the Departments of Education and Veterans Affairs announced a new action to simplify the student loan discharge process for disabled veterans: "Veterans have sacrificed for our country, and we must honor their service. Disabled veterans must not be burdened with student loan debt, and we should be helping them access the loan forgiveness t… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on the Eighth Anniversary of SAFRA
03.30.18 "The higher education reforms and investments made in SAFRA were historic in size and scope. As working families struggled to recover from the Great Recession, SAFRA brought relief to millions of students and parents. Notably, SAFRA made higher education more accessible and affordable by increasing the maximum Pell Grant award and indexing it to inflation; establishing the direct lending program that stopped using billions of taxpayer dollars to subsidize corporate lenders; and strengthening inv… Continue Reading
Bonamici Stands Up for Student Loan Borrowers, State Consumer Protection Laws
03.09.18 WASHINGTON, DC [03/09/18] - Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, a leader on the House Education and the Workforce Committee and a former consumer protection attorney, issued the following statement after the Department of Education announced its plans to block states from regulating student loan servicers and debt collectors: "It is unacceptable that Education Secretary DeVos and the Department of Education are trying to interfere with the rights of states to protect student loan borrowers fr… Continue Reading
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi Denounces Betsy DeVos’ Decision to Block Protections For Americans With Student Loans
03.09.18 SCHAUMBURG, IL - Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) of the Committee on Education and the Workforce issued the following statement in response to the Department of Education's decision to block states from enforcing consumer protections against student loan collection companies: "Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos' decision to strip states of their ability to protect Americans from fraud and abuse in student loans is unprecedented and poses serious challenges for working and middle-class fa… Continue Reading
Trump Administration Usurps State Law on Student Loans
03.09.18 Washington: Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., gave the following statement after the U.S. Dept. of Education usurped states by saying that federal student loan servicers do not have to comply with state law to protect students from predatory student loan lenders. "The Trump Administration is more worried about protecting fraudulent student loan companies than students themselves. This is an attempt to take away a state's right to protect students, giving student loan servicers free reign to scam the… Continue Reading
Rep. Takano: Education Department Betrays Students…Again
03.09.18 Washington, D.C. - Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) released the following statement in response to the Department of Education's "notice of interpretation" that exempts federal student loan servicers from state regulation. "The Trump administration's attempt to block states from holding unethical student loan companies accountable is a disgraceful escalation of its attack on students and the integrity of the higher education system. At a time when 42 million Americans owe roughly $1.4 trillion in f… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on ED Prioritizing Profits Over People
03.09.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Education (ED) published a 'notice of interpretation' of state's rights to protect federal student loan borrowers. "In recent years, there have been numerous credible claims of servicing failures stemming from potentially unethical practices and purposeful misinformation provided to student loan borrowers. States under both Democratic and Republican leadership have rightly increased their inve… Continue Reading
Scott: ED OIG Confirms H.R.4508 Makes College More Expensive for Students
03.06.18 WASHINGTON - Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), ranking member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, released the following statement after the Department of Education (ED) Office of Inspector General (OIG) released their recommendations for H.R.4508. "Independent analysis continues to confirm what we have said about H.R. 4508 from the beginning, it makes college more expensive for students and is a wish list for for-profit schools. Our claim that it will make college more expensive was … Continue Reading
Rep. Takano Slams Proposal to Shield Unethical Student-Loan Debt Collectors from Accountability
02.28.18 Washington, D.C. - Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) released the following statement in response to reports that the Department of Education is moving forward with plans to issue a rule blocking states from regulating unethical student-loan debt collectors. "When a company deceives a student about their student loan options, it puts that student's entire financial and educational future in jeopardy. That is why dozens of states, including my home state of California, have taken action to protect stu… Continue Reading
Bonamici Blasts Department of Education for Blocking State Consumer Protection Laws
02.27.18 WASHINGTON, DC [02/27/18] - Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, a leader on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement after reports that the Department of Education is planning to block states from regulating student loan collection companies: "After rolling back consumer protections for student loan borrowers at the federal level, Education Secretary DeVos is now trying to prevent states from taking action to protect their residents from fraud and abuse.… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott on the SOTU and the Reality for America’s Students and Workers
01.30.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after President Trump delivered this State of the Union Address before Congress. "During President Trump's first year in office, his administration and Congressional Republicans have subjected students and workers to a constant barrage of attacks. Under President Trump's leadership, the administration has moved to allow employers to pocket workers' tips, jeopardized workplace safety, and made it harder for workers t… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on ED’s Latest Action to Harm Defrauded Students
12.20.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Education (ED) announced a new process for assessing and awarding borrowers defense to repayment claims submitted by former students of the now-closed Corinthian Colleges. "Today's action by the Department of Education will short-change thousands of students defrauded by the now-defunct Corinthian Colleges, Inc. "By structuring financial relief according to earnings in comparison to other car… Continue Reading
After 13-Hour Markup, Republicans Pass Partisan HEA Reauthorization Under the Cover of Night
12.13.17 WASHINGTON - TODAY, the Committee on Education and the Workforce held a markup on H.R. 4508, the "Promoting Real Opportunity, Success, and Prosperity through Education Reform (PROSPER) Act." H.R. 4508 makes college more expensive for millions of students and families by forcing students to borrow more, pay more to borrow more, and pay more to repay student loans. Just like the Republican tax plan, it puts corporate profits before students, asking families and students to pay more for a lower qua… Continue Reading
The PROSPER Act: What People Are Really Saying (Continued)
12.12.17 Under the so-called "PROSPER Act" (H.R. 4508), for-profit colleges and corporate interests are the clear winners. Students and working families are the clear losers. Don't just take our word for it, we have received more than fifty letters from organizations who oppose H.R. 4508. Association of American Universities: "As drafted, the House plan is seriously flawed. It seeks to eliminate subsidized loans, on which nearly six million undergraduate students depend each year. It would eliminate t… Continue Reading