Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Higher Education
New Survey Shows Majority of Americans want Congress to Keep Student Loan Interest Rates at 3.4 Percent or Lower
06.18.13 WASHINGTON - 83 percent of Americans want Congress to keep interest rates on student loans at 3.4 percent or lower according to the results of a new poll released today. “The survey responses confirm what House Democrats have known for some time: Congress needs to keep interest rates low and a not add more debt onto students and families,” said Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee. “With just days to act before interest rates doub… Continue Reading
Congress Must Ensure Accreditation Systems Provide Students with a High Quality Education
06.13.13 WASHINGTON - As the committee looks to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, Congress must ensure that accreditation systems support high-quality education programs worthy of student and taxpayer investment, witnesses told the House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training today. "The Higher Education Act recognizes the critical role that these actors play in providing a framework for shared responsibility and for ensuring that the 'gate' to student financial aid programs opens o… Continue Reading
House Dems Move to Force Vote on Student Loan Interest Rate Relief
06.13.13 WASHINGTON, DC — With Congress facing just fewer than 10 legislative days to act before a looming increase on student loan interest rates hits more than 7 million students and families, U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) joined his Democratic colleagues today, led by U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), in an effort to force a vote in the House to provide student debt relief to millions of student loan borrowers. “Across the country today, rapidly-accumulating student loan debt threatens not just … Continue Reading
Miller Applauds Gainful Employment Rule-making Process Moving Forward
06.11.13 WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee, today issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Education announced a new negotiated rule-making process specifically for gainful employment. "I applaud the administration for moving forward to define minimum standards that protect students and taxpayers from the most predatory academic programs that over-promise, over-charge and under-deliver. With student loan … Continue Reading
Miller Statement on Upcoming Senate Student Loan Vote
06.06.13 WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, released the following statement today as the Senate prepares to vote on legislation to stop interest rates on student loans from doubling on July 1. "In addressing student loan interest rates, any 'solution' should at the very least do no harm. A proposal that increases the debt load of students and families is no solution at all. It's as simple as that. Unfortunately, the cur… Continue Reading
Rep. George Miller Statement on President Obama’s Speech on Student Loans
05.31.13 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement today after President Obama’s speech on urging Congress to come together in order to prevent the doubling of student loan interest rates for 7 million borrowers on July 1. “I applaud President Obama for continuing to focus on making college more affordable and accessible for all Americans. At a time of rising college costs, saddling student… Continue Reading
Republicans Pass Legislation to Make College More Expensive for Students and Families
05.16.13 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Republicans on the House Education and the Workforce committee pushed through legislation today to make college more expensive for students and families, forcing them into loans with skyrocketing interest rates that fluctuate year by year, further compounding the student debt crisis. The legislation (H.R. 1911) would charge millions of students and families nearly $4 billion over the next decade in additional interest charges relative to current law. “Our students and fami… Continue Reading
GOP Student Loan Bill Would Make College More Expensive, a New Independent Nonpartisan Analysis Shows
05.15.13 New data from Congressional Research Services shows students and families will pay higher interest costs than today WASHINGTON, D.C. - House Education and the Workforce Committee Democrats released new data from the independent, nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (CRS) that shows that the House Republican student loan proposal (H.R. 1911) will increase the cost of students and families to pay for college. The Republican bill is scheduled for a committee vote tomorrow. "It's clear tha… Continue Reading
Miller Statement on Reed-Harkin Student Loan Proposal
05.15.13 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement today after U.S. Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and Jack Reed (D-RI), along with Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), introduced legislation that would freeze interest rates on subsidized Stafford student loans at 3.4 percent for two years. The Student Loan Affordability Act wo… Continue Reading
Miller, Waters Pledge Action on Private Student Loan Debt
05.09.13 WASHINGTON- Two senior Democratic lawmakers from the House - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee, and U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Ranking Member on the Financial Services Committee - released the following joint statement today after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) published a report highlighting ways in which student loan debt can have a domino effect on other financial decisions for consumers. For example,… Continue Reading
Miller: Republican Proposal is a Bait and Switch to Tax Students
05.09.13 WASHINGTON- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement today after the Republican majority on the committee released legislation that would tax students working towards obtaining a college credential. "My concern is how this bill affects students and their families. The fact is, the Republican plan is a nearly $4 billion tax on students and their parents or grandparents. It's a nearly $4 billion tax on p… Continue Reading
Committee Leaders Call for Feedback on Higher Education Act Reauthorization
04.25.13 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Members of the House Education and the Workforce Committee today called upon students, parents, college leaders, and higher education stakeholders to share their views on policies and amendments that should be included in the upcoming reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. “Congress will soon be set to rewrite the nation’s higher education policy,” said senior Democratic Member George Miller (D-Calif.). “It is my hope that the results of this process will help ensure th… Continue Reading
Students and Families Need Clear, Practical Information about College Costs and Financial Aid, Witnesses tell House Education Subcommittee
04.24.13 WASHINGTON - Students and families do not have easy access to clear, consistent, and timely information about college costs and financial aid options in order to help them effectively plan for college, witnesses told the House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training today. Witnesses said that requiring up-front college cost and financial aid information that uses plain language will help students and parents plan effectively when deciding which college to attend. "We must do a b… Continue Reading
Urgent Congressional Action is needed to Stop Student Loan Interest Rates from Doubling, Witnesses Tell Education Panel
04.16.13 WASHINGTON - Witnesses told a House Education subcommittee today that urgent congressional action is needed to stop student loan interest rates from doubling. Testimony also emphasized that continued federal investment in financial aid programs is key to enriching individual economic success, building a strong state economy, and developing a competitive workforce. "Landmark investments in federal higher education programs have improved the lives of low-income and middle income students and wor… Continue Reading
Miller Statement on New CFPB Rule to Supervise Nonbank Student Loan Servicers
03.15.13 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced today proposed regulations to oversee nonbank student loan servicers. Under the new proposed rule, CFPB will be able to view the complete cycle of private student loan debt, from origination through servicing to debt collection and credit reporting. At a time when total student loan debt… Continue Reading
Students Need More, Not Less, Affordability in Federal Loan Programs, Witnesses Tell House Education Panel
03.13.13 WASHINGTON - While college tuition continues to increase at rates well above inflation, students and families need continued access to affordable federal student loans, witnesses told the House Education and Workforce Committee today. "A college degree plays a critical role in most American Dreams," said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.). "Unfortunately, we know all too well that the rising cost of higher education is pushing those American Dreams a little further out of reach for too many fam… Continue Reading
Rep. Miller Supports Bill to Restore Fairness in Private Student Lending
02.07.13 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, announced his support for legislation introduced yesterday to restore fairness in student loan lending. The Private Student Loan Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2013 would treat privately-issued student loans the same as other types of consumer debt in bankruptcy. "Not all loan debt is created equal. Private student loans have rightly been described as the 'wild w… Continue Reading
Miller: Students Should Have More Access to Fee-Free ATMs on Campus
01.31.13 WASHINGTON - As students head back to school and start to receive their student aid disbursements, U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce, highlighted the need for students to be more informed about the fees they may encounter on their school issued debit cards on a conference call with reporters today. Miller also underscored the need for financial institutions to be more transparent marketing their services to students and provide stud… Continue Reading
Miller, Durbin Applaud CFPB’s Efforts to Protect Students from Risky Campus Financial Products
01.31.13 WASHINGTON- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the Assistant Senate Majority Leader, released the following joint statement today after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it is launching an inquiry into the impact of campus financial products marketed to students by colleges to determine whether these arrangements are in the best interest of students. Campus f… Continue Reading
Miller: Students May Incur Unnecessary Fees to Access Financial Aid
01.22.13 WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. George Miller, the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, today asked Higher One Holdings, Inc. for further information on its debit card and ATM-placement practices nationwide after research indicated that students with Higher One debit cards may have difficulty accessing their financial aid free of fees due to limited ATM locations. Federal rules require that, in cases where a school opens a bank account for a student, the student must have … Continue Reading