Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Aim Higher
The PROSPER Act: What People Are Really Saying…
12.08.17 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, read what other people are saying: The Institute for College Access & Success: "Simply put, this bill will make it both harder and costlier for students to earn a high-quality certificate or degree." Association of American Universities: "As drafted, the House plan is seriously flawed. It s… Continue Reading
Representatives David Price and Susan Davis Introduce Reauthorization of Title VI of the Higher Education Act
11.30.17 WASHINGTON (Nov. 30, 2017) - On Thursday, November 30, Congressman David Price (D-NC) and Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-CA) introduced legislation to reauthorize Title VI of the Higher Education Act. HEA-Title VI supports foreign language and international education programs at colleges and universities which help to educate citizens as they engage with diverse cultures both at home and around the globe. The 'Advancing International and Foreign Language Education Act' will increase and expand ex… Continue Reading
Committee Democrats Introduce Bill to Simplify the FASFA
11.16.17 WASHINGTON - TODAY, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE-01) introduced H.R. 4416, the Simple FASFA Act of 2017, co-led by Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), ranking member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, Congresswoman Susan Davis (CA-53), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development, Congressman Gregorio Sablan (NMI-AL), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, and Congressman Ami Bera (CA-07). Simplifyi… Continue Reading
Members of Congress Demand Secretary DeVos Provide Full Relief for Students Who Were Cheated Out of Their Education and Savings
11.14.17 Secretary DeVos has proposed only providing partial relief for students who were defrauded by predatory for-profit colleges In new letter, Members of Congress express concern that Secretary DeVos may block full debt relief for student loan borrowers who were cheated out of their savings and education Members of Congress: "The Department should not punish borrowers who overcome the odds and happen to succeed at finding work despite the failings or fraud of their schools or programs" … Continue Reading
Adams, Butterfield, Price Challenge DeVos to Maintain Protections for Students
11.01.17 WASHINGTON - Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (NC-12), a member of the Education and Workforce Committee, led a letter signed by North Carolina Congressmen G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) and David Price (NC-04) to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos urging the Department of Education to allow students enrolled at Charlotte School of Law (CSL) from December 31st,2016 to its close on August 15, 2017 to qualify for a closed school discharge of their student loans as a group. Following repeated communicati… Continue Reading
Bonamici Condemns Attempt by Department of Education to Limit Consumer Protections for Student Loan Borrowers
10.31.17 WASHINGTON, DC [10/31/17] - Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Vice Ranking Member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, spoke out on behalf of students about reports that the Department of Education may require students who were cheated by for-profit colleges to pay back student loans. According to the Associated Press, the Department of Education is considering providing partial relief to students who have been defrauded or misled by predatory, for-profit colleges. Under the… Continue Reading
Murray and Scott on DeVos Decision to Make Privatization a Priority When Awarding Federal Grants
10.12.17 WASHINGTON - Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA), ranking member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, released the following statements on Secretary DeVos proposing a list of priorities when distributing competitive grants from the Department of Education. Among others, the list includes privatization-a top priority for Secretary DeVos, whose only experience before becomi… Continue Reading
Pocan and Stefanik Call for Vote to Extend Perkins Loans as More Than 220 Members Join as Cosponsors
09.26.17 Currently 222 members of the House, both Democrats and Republicans, are cosponsors of H.R. 2482, the Perkins Loans Extension Act, which comes as the program is set to expire on Saturday WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Representatives Mark Pocan (WI-02) and Elise Stefanik (NY-21) today called for a vote on H.R. 2482, the Perkins Loans Extension Act after more than half of the members of the U.S. House of Representatives signed on as cosponsors. With the Perkins Loan program scheduled to expire on Septembe… Continue Reading
Scott: Rescission of Guidance on Campus Sexual Assault Sends Disturbing Message
09.22.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced the rescission of the Obama Administration Title IX guidance which provides protections to survivors of campus sexual assault. "Today's announcement is alarming. Instead of improving protections for survivors of campus sexual assault, the Department - without input from advocates, victims, and institutions - has added more confusion and chaos to the process. By… Continue Reading
Senator Franken and Representatives Davis and Krishnamoorthi Lead Effort to Help Foster and Homeless Youth Succeed in College
09.12.17 WASHINGTON -- On September 12, 2017, Senator Al Franken (D-MN), Congressman Danny K. Davis (D-IL), and Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) introduced the Fostering Success in Higher Education Act of 2017 to provide robust support to help foster and homeless youth succeed in college. Congressman Bobby Scott, Ranking Member of the Education and Workforce Committee, and Congresswoman Susan Davis, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development, join as original … Continue Reading
Clark Bill Makes College More Accessible to Homeless and Foster Youth
09.12.17 WASHINGTON - Congresswoman Katherine Clark (D-MA) introduced the Higher Education Access and Success for Homeless and Foster Youth Act of 2017. Clark's bill lifts barriers to college entrance often experienced by homeless and foster youth facing questions about their independent status and financial eligibility. In U.S. public schools, more than 1.3 million students are homeless and nearly 428,000 are in foster care. These students often lack the support network they need to navigate a complicat… Continue Reading
Democrats Introduce Bold Legislation to Broadly Expand Access to Higher Education
09.07.17 WASHINGTON - Today, Representative Bobby Scott (VA-03), ranking member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, Representative Susan Davis (CA-53), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development, and Representatives Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Seth Moulton (MA-06), and Anthony Brown (MD-04), introduced the America's College Promise Act of 2017, which would make two years of community college free and provide an affordable pathway to a four-year college degr… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on President Trump Ending DACA
09.05.17 WASHINGTON - Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-03), ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, released the following statement after Attorney General Jeff Sessions confirmed that President Trump is ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. "I am deeply disappointed President Trump is ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. In 2012, we asked undocumented immigrants who were brought here at a young age, through no fault of their own… Continue Reading
Bonamici Responds to Hiring of For-Profit Official to Lead Enforcement Unit
08.30.17 WASHINGTON, DC [08/30/17] - Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Vice Ranking Member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, spoke out on behalf of students after the Department of Education announced it hired Julian Schmoke Jr., a former official from DeVry University, to lead the Student Aid Enforcement Unit. The unit is tasked with policing fraud and deceptive practices in higher education. "American students deserve to know that the Department of Education is going to be… Continue Reading
Rep. Takano: Trump Administration is Turning Education Department into an Accomplice in For-Profit Fraud
08.30.17 WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif) released the following statement after the Trump administration tapped Julian Schmoke Jr., a former for-profit college executive, to lead the Education Department's Student Aid Enforcement unit, which is responsible for policing fraudulent and deceptive practices at colleges and universities. Schmoke Jr.'s previous employer, DeVry University, recently reached a $100 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission in response to allegations of … Continue Reading
House, Senate Democratic Leaders Push Trump Administration for Answers on Affirmative Action
08.21.17 Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Congressman John Conyers (D-MI), ranking member of the House Committee on Judiciary, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of Education … Continue Reading
Bonamici to DeVos: Stop Putting Interests of For-Profit Colleges Over Interests of Students
08.18.17 BEAVERTON, OR [08/18/17] - Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Vice Ranking Member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, spoke out on behalf of students after the Department of Education announced it would further delay requirements that colleges comply with a rule protecting student loan borrowers. The Gainful Employment rule protects students attending career colleges from being burdened by student loan debt that they cannot repay. The Gainful Employment regulation prohibits … Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Leaving the Virginia Marketplace
08.12.17 NEWPORT NEWS, VA - Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on the announcement that Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield will leave the Virginia marketplace in 2018: "The Trump administration's reckless actions continue to jeopardize health coverage access for millions of Americans across the country. Just yesterday, Anthem announced they will no longer sell plans in Virginia's Marketplace citing "continual changes and uncertainty in federal operations, rules and guidance. S… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on July Jobs Report
08.04.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 209,000 jobs in July, with the unemployment rate at 4.3 percent. "Today's jobs report shows that the economic gains we made in the recovery from the Great Recession remain strong. However, the report also includes the fact that wages are still stagnant. "According to the report, average hourly earnings for all employees in nonfarm employment ros… Continue Reading
Scott, Conyers Statement on Reports of Trump Administration Plans to Attack Affirmative Action
08.02.17 WASHINGTON - Representatives Bobby Scott (VA-03) and John Conyers, Jr. (MI-13), the ranking members of the House Committees on Education and the Workforce and the Judiciary, respectively, issued the following statement after reports surfaced that the Department of Justice plans to attack and undermine affirmative action programs in colleges and universities. "While we cannot comment on the veracity of this alleged memo, we are deeply concerned by news reports that the Department of Justice int… Continue Reading