College Students May See Relief

Bad Kenny! (0.00 / 0)

Mr Marchant should be careful how he votes in this Congress. He is being watched very closely.

www.stonewalldemocratsofdentoncounty.org

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by: John McClelland @ Wed Jan 17, 2007 at 22:58:14 PM CST

Bad Kenny? (0.00 / 0)

More like bad Burgess, he;s the one with the State University in his district.

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by: trowaman @ Thu Jan 18, 2007 at 01:01:39 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Bad Burgess (0.00 / 0)

Bad Burgess is being watched as well, but I don't live in his district.

My colleagues in the rest of Denton County will take care of him in a couple years. Everyone can keep track of Burgess on the WhosPlayin blog.

I'm starting to keep track of Bad Kenny's votes on my own blog, Little Corner of Democracy.

www.stonewalldemocratsofdentoncounty.org

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by: John McClelland @ Thu Jan 18, 2007 at 10:43:51 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Lamar Smith must be scared (0.00 / 0)

He's now voted to pass a minimum wage and to lower interest rates on student loans.  Two things that he voted against prior to this Democratic controlled congress.  Well at least he's flip-flopping the right way.

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by: sonia @ Thu Jan 18, 2007 at 08:50:34 AM CST

A step in the right direction (0.00 / 0)

But really far too small a step to significantly impact the availabillity of higher education to poor and middle class students.
Lower interest rates are a fine idea, but it is only expected to result in an average $4,420 in savings over the life of the loan, and that is for students entering college after 2010. Savings for current students and those entering before 2010 will be significantly less.

Addressing the reduction in the Pell Grant, funding cuts for TRIO programs and the out of control increases in the cost of an education at public institutions are in greater need of address and could ultimately have true effects on the availabillity of a college education for ALL Americans. If the cost of a college education is much greater than the maximum allowable amount of a student loan, this type of legislation will provide no relief for those who do not have families who can help with college expenses.

Prisoner of hope.

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by: comeon @ Thu Jan 18, 2007 at 11:13:21 AM CST

I agree it is only a start (0.00 / 0)

But at least it is one in the right direction. I hope that this Congress will quickly take up Pell grants.

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by: LubbockDem @ Thu Jan 18, 2007 at 11:16:19 AM CST

[ Parent ]

It's going to take a decade to undo the damage (0.00 / 0)

The republicans had control for 12 years.  They left a huge mess.  So many things to clean up, and so hard to prioritize.  I'm sure it's in the works to increase the grants once again.

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by: sonia @ Thu Jan 18, 2007 at 17:52:39 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Cut worth $133 million to students (0.00 / 0)

  AAS article 1/19
Cut worth $133 million to students
Students in Texas would save more than $133 million in interest payments on loans during the next 10 years under legislation approved by the U.S. House this week, according to an analysis by the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corp.

The measure would cut interest rates in half, to 3.4 percent from 6.8 percent, during the next five years.

If the proposal were in effect today, it would apply to more than 133,000 Texas undergraduates who left school in the 2005-06 academic year with subsidized Stafford loans, the corporation said. A typical student had $5,250 in such loans and would save more than $1,000 in interest payments.

The corporation is a public nonprofit agency created by the state Legislature in 1979. The corporation said it supports efforts to reduce the cost of student loans to borrowers.

The White House opposes the bill, contending that it benefits nonstudents when more grant aid is needed to help low-income students pay tuition and fees.

But the bill's easy passage - 356 to 71, with bipartisan support - suggests that a presidential veto could be overridden. A similar bill in the Senate, sponsored by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., would include broader interest rate cuts and an increase in the maximum Pell grant for the neediest students to $5,100. 

Can someone tell me how in the hell this benefits nonstudents per the bushies?  Maybe the families of students might save some money too, God forbid!

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by: sonia @ Sun Jan 21, 2007 at 19:09:59 PM CST