Statement on the House and Senate Budget Resolutions Introduced Today
A college degree is practically a necessity these days, but students and families struggle to pay for it. Over the past decade, states have cut support to college budgets while student grant aid has remained static. Savings have decreased and graduate debt is skyrocketing. In concert with the president’s initial proposal, the House and Senate Budget resolutions propose a significant reinvestment in the Pell grant, the nation’s primary need based aid program by cutting excessive subsidies from banks and lenders.
Rich Williams, USPIRG Higher Education Associate, said, “I applaud the House and the Senate in joining the president to reset our priorities in higher education. For too long, banks have received excessive subsidies from within the student loan programs while students and families struggle to finance a college degree. By redirecting these subsidies toward students, these policy proposals underscore just how deeply our federal government is committed toward making college more accessible and affordable.”
USPIRG and the federation of State PIRGs are running a campaign urging Congress and the President to Reinvest in America’s Priorities by recommitting resources to lowering costs and improving the quality of health care for all Americans, significantly increasing student aid to help students and families pay for college, investing in mass transit, and making the tax code fair.
###
