Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Save Student Financial Aid - Act Right Now

For the first time in a decade, we have a real chance in Congress to make college more affordable and accessible. But special interests are threatening to halt this progress.

We need your help right now. Please call your Senator today!

Tomorrow, we anticipate that the Senate will vote on S.1762, The Higher Education Access Act of 2007, which increases grant aid for low income students and helps make student loan debt more manageable by cutting $16 billion dollars from subsidies to lenders. Unfortunately, Sen. Ben Nelson and Sen. Richard Burr are planning an amendment that would let lenders keep billions of dollars that should be going to students.

PLEASE CALL YOUR SENATORS TODAY AND URGE THEM TO VOTE YES FOR S. 1762, AND NO ON THE NELSON-BURR AMENDMENT.


Senator Dianne Feinstein:
(202) 224-3841 or email.
Senator Barbara Boxer: (202) 224-3553 or email.


Last week, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed HR 2339, the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007, 273 to 143. This bill delivers a similar set of higher education reforms for college students and their families struggling to pay for a college degree.

A college degree is more necessary than ever these days. But over 100,000 college eligible students drop out of applying to college due to cost. And more and more students graduate with deep debt to pay for it. In the early nineties, less than one third of college graduates had loan debt to repay; now, over two thirds do. This debt squeezes graduates out of going into lower paying, but socially valuable degrees like social work and teaching.

To find out more information, go to the Debt Hits Hard campaign run by the organization Campus Progress, as well as the Campaign to Make College Affordable. Also check out Young Democrats for America for further information on how to get involved.

PLEASE CALL YOUR SENATOR RIGHT NOW!!!!!

No comments: