Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Higher Education
Chairs Scott, Murray, Colleagues Release Report Highlighting Need to Ensure Companies Managing Colleges’ Online Programs Aren’t Violating Ban on Abusive Recruiting Practices
05.05.22 WASHINGTON – Today, Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott and U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Tina Smith (D-MN), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) released a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) highlighting the need for the Department of Education to collect more data to ensure online program managers (OPMs)—third-party companies that help colle… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott, Secretary Walsh Visited Local Community College, Apprentice School to Discuss Workforce Development Programs
05.02.22 WASHINGTON – Today, Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott and U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh visited Thomas Nelson Community College and The Apprentice School and hosted a roundtable with students, higher education professionals, and local business leaders to discuss the importance of workforce development programs. Workforce development programs—like Registered Apprenticeships—are essential to ensuring workers can access better-paying jobs and busi… Continue Reading
New GAO Report: Income-Driven Repayment System in Urgent Need of Reform
04.20.22 WASHINGTON – A new report released today by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that long-standing flaws in the Department of Education’s Income-Driven Repayment program that have left thousands of student loan borrowers without the loan forgiveness for which they may be eligible. Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans allow borrowers to reduce their monthly repayment amounts and extend repayment periods. Under IDR plans, the borrower’s remaining … Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on Education Department Plan to Support Student Loan Borrowers in Income-Driven Repayment
04.19.22 WASHINGTON – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Department of Education announced major fixes to improve the Income-Driven Repayment program. “The Department of Education’s announcement marks a key milestone toward ensuring that Income-Driven Repayment delivers on its promise to student loan borrowers. Just last week, Senate HELP Committee Chair Patty Murray and I urged the De… Continue Reading
Scott, Murray Push Biden Administration to Fix Longstanding Failures with Income-Driven Student Loan Repayment System
04.18.22 WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA-03), Chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, and U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, wrote to U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to urge the Department of Education to extend the student loan payment pause until 2023 and use the intervening time to adopt meaningful and lasting reforms to the federal income-driven repayment (IDR) sy… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Applauds Biden-Harris Administration for Extending Student Loan Pause, Providing Second Chance to Struggling Student Borrowers
04.06.22 WASHINGTON – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement applauding the Biden Administration for today’s announcement that the Department of Education will extend the pause on student loans through August 31, 2022. In addition, the Department is putting currently defaulted federal student loan borrowers into good standing and erasing the default from their credit history. “Across the country, borrow… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on Need to Extend Student Loan Payment Pause
03.16.22 WASHINGTON – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement urging the Biden administration to extend the pause on student loan repayment, collections, and interest accrual through 2022. “I am urging the Biden-Harris administration to extend relief for student loan borrowers through the end of this year. Throughout the pandemic, the pause on student loan payments has been critical to helping borrowers and families cope with… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Celebrates House Passage of Historic Government Funding Bill
03.09.22 WASHINGTON – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the House passed the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) omnibus spending package. “Today, the House passed a government funding package that makes historic investments in students, workers, and families. “I am particularly pleased that the omnibus takes key steps to address long-standing inequities in education. The package includes a $1 billion increase in fundin… Continue Reading
Scott, Adams, Hill, and HBCU Caucus Celebrate Passage of Resolution Condemning Bomb Threats
03.09.22 WASHINGTON - Today, Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA-03), Congresswoman Alma Adams (D-NC-12), Congressman French Hill (R-AR-02), and the Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus celebrated the passage of H. Con. Res. 70, a resolution condemning threats of violence against historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and reaffirming support for HBCUs and their students. "Over the past few months, more than thirty of our nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities-including No… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on HBCU Bomb Threats
01.31.22 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after at least six historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) received bomb threats on Monday. This is the second time bomb threats have been made at HBCUs in less than a month. "For the second time this month, bomb threats were made to at least half a dozen historically Black colleges and universities. Campuses were closed, classes disrupted, and HBCU students, faculty and staff once again feared f… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Statement on Extension of Student Loan Pause
12.22.21 WASHINGTON – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Biden Administration announced an extension in the pause of student loan repayment, collections, and interest accrual. “I applaud the Biden Administration’s decision to extend relief for student loan borrowers in response to the surge in COVID-19 infections. As we have seen during similar periods throughout pandemic, the rapid spread of the Omicron varian… Continue Reading
ICYMI: Chairman Scott Op-Ed - “Finally, HBCUs’ time has come”
11.01.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Scott wrote the following op-ed for TheGrio on the Build Back Better Act's historic investments in Historically Black Colleges and Universities. "With razor-thin margins in the House and Senate, and a Republican Party intent on obstruction, Democrats in Congress have been forced to make hard choices in search of a final agreement that fulfills President Joe Biden's agenda. "Amid these tough decisions and painful cuts, one proposal has beaten the odds. "Historically Bla… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Applauds Biden Administration Plans to Fix Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
10.07.21 WASHINGTON - Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement in response to press reports that the Biden administration is planning major fixes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. "For three years, my Committee repeatedly implored the Trump administration to address the glaring issues with the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Unfortunately, despite hearings, letters, and public statements, the previous administration refused to take meaningful acti… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Applauds Biden Administration for Extending Relief to 115,000 Defrauded Student Borrowers
08.26.21 WASHINGTON - Today, House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Biden-Harris Administration announced that it will make $1.1 billion in closed school discharges available to an additional 115,000 borrowers who attended the now-defunct ITT Technical Institute (ITT). "I applaud President Biden and Secretary Cardona for extending student loan relief to 115,000 student borrowers who were defrauded by ITT Technical Institute.… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Applauds Biden Administration for Restoring Relief for Victims of Predatory Colleges
08.24.21 WASHINGTON - Today, House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Biden-Harris administration announced that it is replacing the Trump-era formula for determining student debt relief for defrauded borrowers. Multiple independent analyses found that the Trump formula was "nonsensical and harmful to students." "I applaud President Biden and Secretary Cardona for restoring access to debt relief for students who were defrauded… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Applauds Biden Administration for Delivering Relief to Student Borrowers with Total and Permanent Disabilities
08.19.21 WASHINGTON – Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Department of Education announced a policy change that will provide 323,000 borrowers who have a total and permanent disability (TPD) with more than $5.8 billion in automatic student loan discharges. The changes announced today will also make it easier for eligible students to access the relief that they are legally entitled to receive under the TPD program. “… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Calls on Education Department to Hold Executives Personally Liable for the Cost of For-Profit School Closures
08.17.21 WASHINGTON -Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott sent a letter urging the Department of Education to hold the executives of failed for-profit colleges and converted for-profit colleges personally liable for money the institution owes to the federal government. Committee investigations—including a 2020 report on the defunct Dream Center Education Holdings—have found that, when fraudulent for-profit and converted for-profit schools have abruptly closed, college executives have escap… Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Applauds Biden Administration for Strengthening Accountability for Student Loan Servicers
08.09.21 WASHINGTON – Today, Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Education released a new legal interpretation that enhances oversight and accountability for student loan servicers. In 2019, Chairman Scott sent a letter to then-Education Secretary Betsy DeVos regarding the Department’s efforts to shield student loan servicing companies from state law enforcement. … Continue Reading
Chairman Scott Praises Biden-Harris Administration for Extending Pause on Student Loan Payments
08.06.21 WASHINGTON - Today, House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Biden-Harris Administration extended the pause on federal student loan payments and interest until January 31, 2022. In June, Chairman Scott and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) sent a letter urging President Biden to extend the pause, which was set to expire at the end of September. "I applaud President… Continue Reading
Committee Advances Four Bills to Support Survivors of Domestic Violence, Older Americans, Students of Color
07.15.21 WASHINGTON - Today, the Committee on Education and Labor advanced four bills to support survivors of domestic violence, protect older job applicants from age discrimination, help communities desegregate their schools, and strengthen efforts to fight discrimination in education. The Family Violence and Prevention Services Improvement Act (FVPSA) of 2021 modernizes and adequately funds FVPSA to support survivors of domestic violence and increases prevention efforts to ensure no American experien… Continue Reading