Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Higher Education
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
Ranking Member Scott Condemns DeVos for Prioritizing Privatization
03.05.18 WASHINGTON - Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), ranking member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, released the following statement after the Department of Education announced their final list of priorities last Friday, March 2, 2018. "As with many recent actions by the Department, I am deeply disappointed with Friday's announcement. I am disappointed by the Secretary's failure to heed the advice of many commenters, including Members of Congress, who urged her to abandon school privatiz… Continue Reading
Scott: CBO Confirms GOP Higher Education Bill is a $15 Billion Raid on Student Aid
02.06.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released cost estimates for H.R. 4508. "The CBO's score of H.R. 4508 confirms what we already knew to be true - this bill makes college more expensive for America's students and working families. According to the CBO, H.R. 4508 would send $9.2 billion in taxpayer dollars to for-profit schools and low-quality programs, but fails to provide any substantial support to help l… Continue Reading
Democratic Education Leaders Call for Inspector General Investigation of Education Department’s Use of Private Collection Agencies
02.05.18 WASHINGTON, DC [02/05/18] - Today Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Bobby Scott, Susan A. Davis, and Senators Kamala Harris, Patty Murray, and Elizabeth Warren called on the Inspector General of the Department of Education to examine whether the use of private collection agencies to collect defaulted student loans is a waste or misuse of taxpayer dollars. The Education Department uses private collection agencies to collect payments from struggling student loan borrowers who have defaulted on th… 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
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
Bonamici, Scott, 45 Democrats Fight to Protect K-12, Higher Education in Tax Reform
12.08.17 WASHINGTON - Today Education and the Workforce Vice Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA), and 45 Democrats stood up for public education and urged tax bill conferees to mitigate the harmful aspects of the current tax proposal and instead advance a tax plan that supports public schools and investments in higher education. "This partisan tax proposal will have irreversible and lasting consequences for the future of K-12 and higher e… Continue Reading
Top Democrats Urge Departments to Rescind Harmful Actions Taking Away Coverage for Preventive Services for Women
12.06.17 WASHINGTON - Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard Neal (MA-01), and Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone Jr. (NJ-06) sent a letter to Health and Human Services Acting Secretary Eric Hargan, Department of Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, and Department of the Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to share their comments on the Interim Final Rules (IFRs) that allow employers and institutions of … 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
Bonamici to Trump: “Keep Your Hands Off Our Birth Control”
10.06.17 BEAVERTON, OR [10/06/17] - Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) released the following statement and video criticizing the Trump Administration for announcing two Interim Final Rules (IFRs) that could effectively allow employers and institutions of higher education to drop contraceptive coverage for millions of female employees and students. You can watch part of Bonamici's response here. "Women need unfettered access to contraception to control their health and economic futures. With t… 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