Letter to MA Colleges and Universities
Letter to MA Colleges and Universities
Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy sent the following letter to college and university presidents across the Commonwealth, calling for input on reauthorizing the Higher Education Act (HEA) and seeking feedback on how to make college more affordable for students and their families in Massachusetts.
On Friday, February 16th, Senator Kennedy, Chairman of the United States Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, will convene a hearing on college affordability. As part of the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, Senator Kennedy will strive to increase need-based grants for low-income students, provide more help for borrowers struggling to repay their student loans, and reform the federal student loan programs so they work for students, not the banks.
Senator Kennedy has introduced several proposals to improve aid for college students and reform the student loan industry. Summaries of those proposals are available below.
February 13, 2007
Dear President XX,
The reauthorization of the Higher Education Act is one of my highest priorities for the new session of Congress, and I plan to do all I can to enact worthwhile and bipartisan legislation in the coming months. This Friday I will hold a hearing on college affordability and I am reaching out to you for input and advice.
Across America today, students are dreaming about what they hope to be. Their parents know all too well that those great dreams depend on a college education. But major increases in tuition and cuts in financial aid programs are creating serious financial barriers to higher education, and forcing students to borrow money at unprecedented rates or give up on college entirely. You know first-hand that a college degree leads to improved skills and knowledge, greater employment opportunities, and higher pay. Making college education more accessible and affordable must be a top priority for all of us.
It's time to turn these priorities into real help for college students and their families. I've recently introduced a number of proposals to address the challenges that college students face, including the Student Debt Relief Act. It's obvious we need to act immediately to make both college costs and student debt more manageableand that is what this bill does. The Student Debt Relief Act will help lift the financial yoke that burdens students and families as they try to pay for college. It increases the maximum Pell Grant to $5100, expands debt management and loan forgiveness for students struggling with burdensome loan payments, and reforms the federal student loan programs. Students and families are pinching pennies to pay for college more than ever, so the President and Congress need to work aggressively together on all these fronts to give them as much help as possible.
As I talk with my colleagues in Congress over the next few months to find a solution that works for all college students, I look forward to your input and perspective. Please feel free to send your thoughts to me at my Boston office:
2400 John F. Kennedy Federal Building
Boston, MA 02203
With respect and appreciation for your insight and dedication to higher education,
Sincerely,
Edward M. Kennedy
http://kennedy.senate.gov/newsroom/press_release.cfm?id=ddda530f-aa39-4f0e-9f14-12fa7d3926c8