Education

“With the cost of a college education and the debt needed to afford it growing every year, Americans are demanding action to lower the crushing cost of higher education. Unfortunately, the President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 budget proposal would make college more expensive,” wrote the members. “As you know, subsidized student loans are utilized by low-income undergraduate students, many of whom would not otherwise be able to attend an institution of higher education. In fact, in the last school year, over six million students borrowed through this program. Subsidized student loans allow a student to earn a degree without needing to burden themselves with the crushing costs of student loan interest rates. We owe it to the next generation of college students to push for student loan policies that will not hold them back."

“A college education is one of the most valuable investments a family can make but rising costs often make it difficult for students to attend without borrowing enormous amounts of debt,” said Courtney. “Compounding the issue for families is the fact that student loans often come with higher interest rates than mortgages, car loans, and other forms of consumer lending which can be refinanced. This bill will help ease the burden of student debt by finally allowing undergraduate borrowers to refinance their loans and take advantage of today’s new lower rates. Student debt hinders our economy because it delays or prevents borrowers from making other major investments including purchasing a home, starting a business, or simply saving for retirement. A college degree has become a critical part of securing a good-paying career and that is why keeping college affordable must be a top priority in Washington. I will continue to work to keep the dream of college within reach for Connecticut families.”

“Advanced manufacturing opportunities in aerospace, maritime, and even healthcare are happening from coast to coast, and the question of the day for many employers is whether our education and job training systems are ready to fill the need. Recent updates to K-12 and job training programs signed into law by President Obama in 2014 and 2015 built a positive platform to address this challenge, and passage of this bill for tech school programs will add to that capability."

“I was elected to Congress in 2006 and have served as a member of the Education and Workforce Committee for eight years,” wrote Courtney. “One of the primary reasons I asked for that assignment was to address the widespread frustration across Connecticut’s Second District with over-prescriptive, unworkable rules generated by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)."