Education
More on Education
May 17, 2017
Press Release
“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.”
February 24, 2017
Press Release
NORWICH, CT —Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02), a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, is announcing that Valerie Nelson, the longtime principal of the Charles Barnum Elementary School in Groton who retired in June of 2015, will be his guest for President Donald Trump’s upcoming address to a joint-session of Congress. Earlier this year, the Barnum school received a National Blue Ribbon Award from the U.S. Department of Education for exceptional performance in closing the achievement gap.
September 14, 2016
Press Release
“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."
September 8, 2016
Press Release
“In the wake of ITT going out of business nationwide, we should be doing everything we can to make sure students and families are aware of the resources available to them through the Department of Education,” said Courtney. “I am pleased that the Department of Education is going to great lengths to help former ITT students move on with their education and lives. I would encourage all students who attended ITT, whether at one of the physical campuses or online, to review information available through the Department to determine if they may be eligible for relief such as student loan discharge or help with transferring earned credits to new institutions. If students are having trouble finding this information, they can contact my Norwich office and we will help point them in the right direction."
July 29, 2016
Press Release
“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)."
July 14, 2016
Press Release
“With the cost of a college education skyrocketing, Americans across the country are demanding action to lower the crushing costs of higher education and relieve the burden of student debt,” said the members. “The challenges faced by our constituents are staggering – student loans account for $1.3 trillion in consumer debt, the highest amount of consumer debt outside of a mortgage, and the average student borrower carries nearly $30,000 in education debt. This is not just a drag on students, graduates, and their families; it’s a drag on our entire economy. When a potential borrower is burdened by student debt, it makes it that much more difficult to buy a home, start a family, or change a career.
May 18, 2016
Press Release
“I am deeply disappointed that the majority leadership of our committee has decided to squander this opportunity to pass bipartisan legislation on an issue I think we all can get behind like child nutrition, and that’s why I voted against moving this bill forward earlier today,” said Courtney. “Making sure children are provided with adequate, nutritious meals is just as important as providing them with good teachers, and with quality textbooks. We know that children, who cannot get enough to eat at home and in school, cannot succeed to their full potential."
May 12, 2016
Press Release
“The news that interest rates for federal student loans will drop is a direct benefit of the 2013 Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act,” Courtney said. “The new rate of 3.76% is not just a reduction from the current rate, but is also a full 3% savings from the rate hike we blocked in 2013. For the 15 million students who rely on Stafford, this will result in thousands of dollars in savings over the life of the loan. We must continue to do more, however, to address the growing education debt crisis in this country – and this news should not be an excuse for Congress not to take the action we know is needed to address this challenge.”
December 18, 2015
Press Release
“I am pleased that after a great deal of negotiating over the past few months, Congress was able to reach a fair,bipartisan compromise to fund the government,” said Courtney. “While this agreement is not perfect, it does contain a number of important provisions that I have stronglyadvocatedfor,including a delay of the Cadillac Tax, as well as funding for job training, healthcare research, and Connecticut’s defense manufacturing sector which helps drive our economy. To be sure, there were provisions in this bill that I would have removed, but on the whole I amglad to see that both sides of the aisle unite todo the right thing for the country. This is how Congress is supposed to function.”
December 11, 2015
Press Release
“I applaud the EPA for providing much needed support to school districts across the country and right here in Eastern Connecticut to replace ageing buses that no longer meet our current standards for pollution emissions,” said Courtney. “We know now that exposure to dangerous emissions is particularly harmful to young people and with school budgets tight, this funding will make a huge difference for our local communities.”