Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Higher Education
Scott Statement on Executive Order on HBCUs
02.28.17 WASHINGTON - Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the President signed an executive order on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). "Every President since Jimmy Carter has issued an executive order to strengthen HBCUs, and it is encouraging that the White House is honoring this tradition. For more than 150 years, HBCUs have been the cornerstone of postsecondary education for African-American communities a… Continue Reading
Polis: CTE Programs Must Emphasize Equity, Provide Opportunity for All Students
02.28.17 WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Jared Polis (CO-02), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education, delivered the following statement during a hearing on career and technical education. Rep. Polis emphasized the need for a full bipartisan reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) Act. Key Excerpts from Rep. Polis' Remarks: "Unfortunately, after harmful sequestration cuts, public funding for CTE is at historic lows. It is c… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Trump Administration Rollback of LGBTQ Protections
02.22.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the White House announced that it will repeal the Obama Administration's Title IX guidance protecting the rights of transgender students. "The impact of the Trump Administration's repeal of the Title IX guidance leaves LGBTQ students in at least 31 states vulnerable to bullying and discrimination. A student's right to equal education should not be impeded by an unsafe learning environment. "Last May, the Obama… Continue Reading
Committee Democrats Outline Higher Education Priorities at Hearing
02.07.17 WASHINGTON - Today, the Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing to discuss our nation's higher education systems, and the need to reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA). Democrats remain committed to a bipartisan reauthorization of the HEA, and they believe quality higher education must be accessible and affordable to empower America's working families to succeed in our economy. "Democrats remain committed to a higher education system that has multiple pathways to attaining… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on DeVos Senate Confirmation
02.07.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Senate voted 51-50, to confirm Betsy DeVos as the United States Secretary of Education. "Our nation's next Secretary of Education is tasked with advancing a mission of equity, access, and accountability. That mission requires support for all students. Unfortunately, Betsy DeVos has failed to make a credible case that she will advocate for the 90 percent of students who attend our nation's public schools. No… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Obama Administration Actions to Protect Student Borrowers
01.13.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Education announced automatic student loan discharges for borrowers who attended American Career Institute, a now-defunct college that admitted to breaking state law and purposely misleading students to pursue meaningless degrees and credentials. Former students who attended Corinthian Colleges Inc. and ITT Technical Institutions will also receive approvals for loan discharges in the coming wee… Continue Reading
Scott, Bonamici Statement on New Report Showing How Student Loan Servicing Problems Can Jeopardize Long-Term Financial Security for Older Americans
01.06.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) issued the following statement after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a report that examines complaints from older student loan borrowers about servicing practices that can jeopardize their long-term financial security: "Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) published a new study about older borrowers who have student loan debt. Troublingly, the report exposed tha… Continue Reading
Scott Commends Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights for Diligent Work to Eliminate Discriminatory Barriers
12.08.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights issued its annual report for FY 2016, and a summary of their work to advance educational equity from 2009-2016: "The Office for Civil Rights reports released today shows much progress has been made during the Obama Administration to expand educational opportunity across the nation for all students. However, challenges do remain. The Department of Education's… Continue Reading
Scott Commends Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights for Diligent Work to Eliminate Discriminatory Barriers
12.08.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights issued its annual report for FY 2016, and a summary of their work to advance educational equity from 2009-2016: "The Office for Civil Rights reports released today shows much progress has been made during the Obama Administration to expand educational opportunity across the nation for all students. However, challenges do remain. The Department of Education's… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Nomination of Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary
11.23.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after President-elect Donald Trump selected Betsy DeVos as his nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Education. "I congratulate Betsy DeVos on her nomination to lead the Department of Education. I hope to work with her to ensure all students have access to safe, diverse, high-quality public schools. The Department has a legacy of protecting and promoting the civil rights of students, and I will work diligently to … Continue Reading
More Than 100 House Democrats Push to Protect Pell Grant Funding
11.02.16 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) and 123 other House Democrats sent a letter to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations urging them to protect Pell Grant funding levels in the Fiscal Year 2017 omnibus. "Due to lower-than-expected program costs, the Pell Grant program has amassed a surplus of more than $7.8 billion," the Members wrote. "The surplus rescissions of $1.2 billion and $1.3 billion in the Senate and House FY 2017 Appropriations bills, respectively, thr… Continue Reading
Scott Introduces Bill to Simplify the Federal Student Aid Application for Dependent Pell Grant Recipients
07.15.16 WASHINGTON - Today, Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-03) introduced H.R. 5784, the File Once FAFSA Act of 2016. The legislation simplifies the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for low-income students by requiring dependent Pell Grant recipients to file just once before going to college and forgo burdensome refiling in subsequent years. If enacted, this bill will make it easier for nearly 3.5 million low-income students to obtain critical P… Continue Reading
House Passes Bipartisan Bills to Help More Americans Pursue Higher Education
07.11.16 WASHINGTON - Today, the House passed five bipartisan bills to help improve access to higher education for students, parents and taxpayers. Collectively, this legislative package includes measures to empower students and families to make informed decisions; simplify and improve the financial aid process; and enhance existing support and accountability for institutions serving minority students. "The bills we passed today are necessary improvements to the Higher Education Act," said Ranking Membe… Continue Reading
Scott, More Than 100 Members of Congress Aim to Make Higher Education More Accessible and Affordable
07.08.16 WASHINGTON - TODAY, Friday, July 8, 2016, one year after the introduction of the America's College Promise Act of 2015 (ACP), there are more than 100 House Democrats support the need for action on legislation that would benefit millions of American students in their pursuit of a more affordable college education. The America's College Promise Act of 2015 makes two years of community college free and provides an affordable pathway for low-income students to earn a four-year college degree. The l… Continue Reading
Scott, Takano, House Democrats Urge Veteran Affairs to Protect Student Veterans from Unscrupulous Learning Institutions
07.07.16 WASHINGTON - Today, Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03), Subcommittee on Veterans' Economic Opportunity Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-41), and other House Democrats wrote a letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) about setting a federal interagency strategy to identify unscrupulous programs of education that employ deceptive practices to recruit student veterans in order to access their GI Bill benefits. Veterans planning to use the GI Bill to purs… Continue Reading
Committee Unanimously Approves Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Career and Technical Education
07.07.16 WASHINGTON - The House Committee on Education and the Workforce today approved H.R. 5587, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act. Introduced by Reps. Katherine Clark (D-MA) and Glenn "GT" Thompson (R-PA), the legislation reauthorizes and reforms the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act to help more Americans enter the workforce with the skills they need to compete for high-skilled, in-demand jobs. The bill passed the committee by a vote of 37 to 0… Continue Reading
Scott, Hinojosa, More Than 100 Democrats Urge Appropriations Committee to Protect Pell Grant Funding
07.06.16 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Higher Education and Workforce Training Subcommittee Ranking Member Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15) and 120 House Democrats sent a letter to Chairman Hal Rogers and Ranking Member Nita Lowey of the House Committee on Appropriations, and to Chairman Tom Cole and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) Subcommittee, urging them to protect Pell Grant funding in the Fiscal Year 2017 Appropriati… Continue Reading
Congressional Democrats Urge GAO to Investigate Financial Barriers Facing HBCUs
07.06.16 WASHINGTON - Today, House Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03), Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), Senator Bob Casey, Jr. (D-PA) and Congressional Black Caucus Chairman G.K. Butterfield (NC-01) wrote a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) urging them to investigate any barriers that might be facing Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) when financing capital projects. "Hist… Continue Reading
Clark, Langevin, Nolan Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Career and Technical Education
06.28.16 WASHINGTON - Led by Congresswoman Katherine Clark (MA-05) on the Committee on Education and the Workforce, policymakers from across the aisle today introduced the Strengthening Career and Technical Education (CTE) for the 21st Century Act. Introduced by Reps. Clark, Jim Langevin (RI-02), Co-Chair of the Career and Technical Education Caucus, and Rick Nolan (MN-08), and Republican Reps. Glenn 'GT' Thompson (PA-05), Carolos Curbelo (FL-26) and Bradley Byrne (AL-01), the legislation reauthorizes an… Continue Reading
Members Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Career and Technical Education
06.28.16 WASHINGTON - Led by Republican and Democratic members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, policymakers today introduced the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act. Introduced by Reps. Glenn 'GT' Thompson (R-PA) and Katherine Clark (D-MA), the legislation reauthorizes and reforms the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act and will help more Americans enter the workforce with the skills they need to compete for high-skilled, in-demand j… Continue Reading