On Monday, Congressman Norm Dicks (D-WA), ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, expressed his belief that his GOP colleagues have “indefinitely postponed” further work on the Labor-HHS-Education bill. The current draft of the bill seeks to de-fund implementation of the 2010 health care overhaul (Affordable Care Act), and also contains policy riders and cuts […]

Both Chambers Exploring Ways to Keep College Education Affordable By Lauren Smith, CQ Staff With an increase in the student loan interest rate averted for a year, both chambers are turning their focus toward a longer-term solution to keeping college affordable. This week, the education committees in the House and Senate will hold hearings aimed […]

APLU Release: Presidents and chancellors of 152 leading universities from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia today urged President Obama and bipartisan congressional leaders to prevent deep across-the-board spending cuts due to take effect in January as a result of budget sequestration, and to reach “a major, balanced long-term deficit-reduction agreement […]

The 2007 College Cost Reduction Act (PL 110-84), enacted before the economic downturn of 2008, adjusted the interest rates for federally subsidized, undergraduate student loans, which had been tied to market interest rates and at that time were increasing. Specifically, the interest rates on the subsidized loans were reduced for new loans, dropping to 6% […]

By Anne L. Kim and Niels Lesniewski, CQ Staff The Senate cleared a bipartisan agreement for a two-year reauthorization of highway, public transit and other surface transportation programs on Friday that included an extension of current student loan rates and a flood insurance reauthorization. The vote was 74-19 to clear the measure for President Obama’s […]

Federal-Loan Changes May Curb Graduate Study: End to federal subsidy is likely to increase students’ debt burden By Stacey Patton of The Chronicle of Higher Education As the nation’s student-loan debt surpasses the $1-trillion mark, alarming students, parents, and politicians, few are thinking about the effects it is having on people like Michael J. Trivette, a […]

By Michael Stratford of The Chronicle of Higher Education U.S. Senate leaders reached an agreement on Tuesday over how to pay for a temporary freeze on the interest rate on certain federally-subsidized student loans. The deal, if agreed to by the House of Representatives, would prevent the interest rate on new subsidized Stafford loans to […]

On Thursday, June 14, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved, by a 16-14 vote along party lines, the FY2013 Labor, Health & Human Services, and Education appropriations bill allowing for $158.8 billion in discretionary funding for FY13, an increase of $2 billion over current levels. Bill includes, among others, the following provisions: Provides funding for the […]

By Seung Min Kim of Politico.com Full Article The partisan clash over extending low student loan interest rates underscores a dilemma Congress faces as it considers a myriad of options in the coming year to control rising college tuition costs. Lawmakers want to help. They just don’t have the money. At a time when more […]

Psychologist Dr. Jacquelyn White, who is retiring from UNCG after 41 years of service, will be heading to Washington, D.C., for work with the U.S. Congress through a fellowship from the American Psychological Association. White has been awarded the prestigious Catherine Acuff Congressional Fellowship, which gives psychologists an opportunity to work in congressional offices or […]