[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 61 (Monday, April 3, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H4078-H4079]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         STUDENT FINANCIAL AID

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California [Ms. Pelosi] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, on Friday, March 31, two colleagues of mine, 
Representative George Miller and Representative Anna Eshoo and I did 
something that the leadership of this body does not want to do.
  We held a hearing on the impact of the proposals by the Republican 
majority to cut the present system of Federal student financial aid.
  We held a hearing to educate the public about these stealth proposals 
which would terminate investments in education to fund tax cuts for the 
wealthy.
  We held a hearing in order that Congress may hear from the students, 
parents, and administrators who would be affected by these proposals.
  We held a hearing because the Republican majority of this body does 
not want people to know the full impact of the Draconian budget 
slashing that the Republican majority needs to pay for their tax cut 
for the wealthy.
  This body has passed legislation already, Mr. Speaker, which was 
proposed by the Republican majority which will rescind nearly $200 
million from our fiscal year 1995 student aid programs. This body will 
take up legislation later this week which would set in motion a series 
of budget cuts which will terminate what remains of it by enacting the 
largest tax giveaway to the rich that we have seen in recent memories.
  What does the Republican majority propose?
  They are proposing the elimination of the deferred interest of 
Stafford and Perkins loans programs which enables students to obtain 
loans without having to pay interest during the time they are in 
school.
  The Republican majority is proposing eliminating campus-based 
programs such as college work-study which provides not only a job to 
help pay for an education but a job with purpose and meaning.
  The Republican majority is proposing eliminating the supplemental 
educational opportunity grant which goes to help the most needy 
students for whom a Pell grant is not enough.
  The Republican majority is proposing passing on to students, 
families, and administrators over a quarter of a billion dollars a year 
in increased educational costs just to the people of California. For 
our freshmen coming in this year, this coming year, this is a $1 
billion fee hike over the course of their education for 4 years that 
families, students, and schools must absorb.
  In my congressional district, nearly 16,000 students would lost their 
Stafford loan benefits at an increased cost of over $11 million. Nearly 
7,000 students would lose their supplemental education opportunity 
grants, an annual loss of $2.3 million for those families.
  Two thousand three hundred students in San Francisco would lose 
college work-study. And the majority, the Republican majority, would 
hand them a bill of $2.5 million to make. All told, just for the 
students, families, and administrators in San Francisco, over $17 
million annually in costs would be passed back to the students, with no 
expectation on how those millions would be made up.
  But the most telling points, the most poignant testimony, the most 
powerful arguments against this upside-down policy came from those who 
would be directly affected by those proposals.
  We had an extraordinary panel of seven students and parents. The 
students were hard-working young men and women, bright, intelligent 
future leaders of our country and their parents who work hard and 
sacrifice to give their children every advantage, an education.
  Here are some of their voices.
  One senior at San Francisco State University testified. His name was 
Michael Rodriguez. Michael is 27, born and raised in San Francisco, and 
was a Marine for 9 years. He was assigned to both the Panama invasion 
and Operation Desert Storm and participated in the liberation of 
Kuwait.
  During his combat assignment he was filling out his application and 
financial aid forms for San Francisco State. Here is what he had to 
say. Here is what Michael Rodriguez had to say:

       For me, financial aid has allowed me to achieve my goals, 
     for which I am thankful. I give thanks every day that 
     programs like financial aid exist for students like myself. 
     Students are cutting their time at school in half so they can 
     work full-time in order to support themselves as financial 
     aid money is becoming scarce. Financial aid, in my opinion, 
     creates a win-win situation. Financial aid is capital 
     investment for the future.

  Diana Summy Hunt, a student at the University of San Francisco, said 
this about work-study: ``This program has permitted me to work on 
campus at the financial aid office as a receptionist and file clerk. On 
the average, I work 18 hours per week, which allows me to pay for my 
books and supplies, not to mention it has also given me a variety of 
job experiences.''
  ``It is not easy,'' she said, ``juggling classes and a job. College 
work-study enables me to do both. If these programs were eliminated, I 
can honestly say that I have no idea where I will find these funds. My 
mother's and my finances are already stretched. What will people do to 
better themselves if education is out of the question?''
  Perhaps one of the most heartfelt testimonials came from Ronelle 
Garibaldi, a member of a two-income family whose son, Michael, also 
attends 
[[Page H4079]] the University of San Francisco. She said:

       Our children's education has been a family project. We all 
     contribute as much as possible.
       Our second son, who was also accepted here at the 
     University, is instead attending a community college until 
     his brother finishes here to help defer costs. We feel there 
     are no extras in our life we can eliminate. However, because 
     we believe so strongly in higher education, the sacrifices go 
     almost unnoticed.

  Mr. Speaker, I urge our colleagues to reject any of the ill-conceived 
proposals made by the Republican majority to eliminate this opportunity 
for higher education for our young people and thus weaken our country.


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