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House Republican Higher Ed Bill Would Cut $14.6 Billion in Student Aid

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 6, 2018

Contact: Sarah Schultz, sarah.schultz@younginvincibles.org, 202.734.6510

Members Who Vote for House Higher Ed Bill Would Yank $14.6 Billion in Students’ Aid

[WASHINGTON]–Today, the Congressional Budget Office released its score for H.R. 4508, the Promoting Real Opportunity, Success, and Prosperity through Education Reform (PROSPER) Act, which found that the House Republican plan would reduce federal funding for higher education by $14.6 billion due to changes to federal financial aid primarily affecting student loan borrowers.

Reid Setzer, Government Affairs Director at Young Invincibles, released the following statement following the report’s release:

“Contrary to the suggestion of the Chairwoman of the House Education & Workforce Committee, student aid is not a ‘luxurious hammock in which students can repose.’ That’s why student debt has more than doubled to nearly $1.4 trillion since the last time Congress reauthorized the Higher Education Act ten years ago. It’s lunacy for Congress to think that cutting nearly $15 billion in aid for students will make it easier for them to finance an education and repay their loans. Furthermore, in addition to being an overall cut, the bill would grow the amount of aid that ends up in the pockets of unscrupulous, low-quality, for-profit schools through the elimination of safeguards to protect students.

It’s infuriating for students to watch Congress prioritize help for corporations and the wealthiest people in America while they continue to wait years for help achieving the American Dream. Congress should listen to these students when trying to reshape the law to better reflect their needs. If they did, they would know that the PROSPER Act is out of touch with the reality facing most students trying to pay for, work toward, and complete their degrees.”

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