Hare Wins Approval of His Measure to Help Displaced Workers Get Additional College Financial Aid

Press Release

Hare Wins Approval of His Measure to Help Displaced Workers Get Additional College Financial Aid

Says Provision Would Help Many in 17th District

Washington, Oct 24 -

The House Ways and Means Committee today passed the Trade and Globalization Assistance Act of 2007 which included Congressman Phil Hare's provision to help displaced workers get additional financial aid for college.

"Workers who lose their jobs due to unfair trade policies must navigate a complex Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) system that doesn't do enough to meet their needs," Hare said. "Since education is a critical vehicle to reemployment, I am pleased my provision to offer additional financial aid to displaced workers was included in this legislation."

Financial aid eligibility and awards are determined using a student's income from the previous year. For recently unemployed adults, such as those laid off because of unfair trade policies, this methodology does not reflect their actual financial need because their current income is typically far lower than their prior year income. Unfortunately, most displaced workers are unaware that financial aid administrators can use their professional judgment to help them qualify for aid by choosing to use current year income in the application for workers who have recently lost their jobs.

Hare's provision would offer counseling to displaced workers on how to apply for financial aid, including notifying them of their right to ask college financial aid administrators to use their current year income in the application process. "We should be doing everything in our power to help displaced workers get back on their feet, not penalizing them because our trade policies encouraged their job to be outsourced," Hare said.

The 17th District has been particularly hard hit by unfair trade. NAFTA drove 1600 good paying Maytag jobs from Galesburg to Mexico. In March, Hare brought former Maytag employee Dave Bevard before the House Education and Labor Committee to discuss the shortcomings of TAA, including the lack of available information.

"No displaced worker should lose out on the opportunity to advance themselves because they don't know what to do or where to go," Hare said. "I believe my simple yet important provision can make a real difference in the lives of ordinary people."

According to Julie Strawn, Senior Fellow with the Center for Law and Social Policy, Hare's provision is especially timely given that a new student aid bill passed by Congress adds recently unemployed individuals as a group that financial aid administrators should particularly try to help with their professional judgment authority. "Over a million workers have lost their jobs in mass layoffs in 2007 alone and it is in everyone's interests that they be given the chance to gain the skills and credentials needed to qualify for family-supporting jobs."

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