[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 92 (Wednesday, June 7, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H5629]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               THE REPUBLICANS' BAD DEAL ON STUDENT LOANS

  (Mr. BENTSEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BENTSEN. Mr. Speaker, the Republican budget cuts student loans, 
plain and simple. The Republicans say they want to protect the 
children, they want to provide incentives for investment, but they want 
to slam the door on middle-class kids who want to go to college.
  The Republicans want to cut student aid by $9.5 billion by the year 
2002. They will start by requiring students to pay interest on their 
loans before they have moved into their dormrooms, before they have 
even attended a class.
  On average, a Texas student would pay up to $5,000 more to attend a 
4-year college under the Republican plan. That's $5,000 most Texas 
families don't have to spend. Middle-class families will struggle to 
pay this amount when the cost of college is already rising twice as 
fast as their incomes.
  Students in my district and the entire Houston area would especially 
be hit hard by these cuts. Rice University, one of the premier 
postsecondary institutions in this country, has 2,584 students enrolled 
this year in its undergraduate program. Of that number, 2,170 students 
receive financial aid--that's 82 percent of all undergraduates. Of 
those students, 715 receive Stafford loans totaling $4.7 million. It's 
difficult to imagine how these students will find an extra $3.6 million 
to complete their education.
  The Republicans just don't get it when it comes to student loans. To 
compete in a world economy, we must encourage kids to get a higher 
education, not discourage them. Higher costs for higher education is a 
bad deal for Texas' students and an even worse deal for America's 
future.


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