On January 11, 2007, our national coalition held a press event and lobbied Congress at the Capitol in D.C., while people across the country called on their Representatives to make college affordable. Just one week later, the House of Representatives took an important first step toward softening the blow of student debt by overwhelmingly passing a bill that cuts interest rates for subsidized Stafford student loans in half. We hope to keep up the momentum until everyone has the opportunity to receive a quality higher education without accruing a crushing debt load.
Since then, we have continued to pressure congress to:
1.Increase need-based grant aid by raising the maximum Pell Grant to $5,100, using general funds rather than eliminating other grant programs.
2.Make student loans more affordable by lowering interest rates, limiting the percentage of income students spend repaying loans, expanding loan forgiveness programs for critical public service careers, and reinstating the refinancing of existing loans.
3.Cut waste in the student loan programs by reducing subsidies to lenders and redirecting those funds to increased student aid and limits on debt burdens
4.Make student loans fair by passing regulations that limit conflicts of interest, make the relationships between colleges and lenders more transparent, and require schools and lenders to inform student of their rights.
There are three ways to take part:
1.Take Action – Write or call Congress in support of college affordability
2.Tell your friends, and join our Facebook group.
3.Where you're at: Organize on your campus to make sure student issues are heard on Capitol Hill throughout the semester. Just send a message to organize@campusprogress.org to show your support and we'll tell you how.
4.In Print: Write op-eds, letters to the editor and essays about this issue to keep it on the agenda. If they get published, you can enter our College Affordability Essay Contest for a chance to win a $2,500 payment on your student loans.
