[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 17, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H576]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IN SUPPORT OF INCREASING PELL GRANTS

  (Mrs. CAPITO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of increasing Pell 
Grants, which we have done over the past 12 years, contrary to what we 
heard earlier. This action would have the greatest impact on helping 
lower-income students afford a college education.
  Later today, the House will consider legislation that is intended to 
increase college access by temporarily reducing subsidized student loan 
interest rates, a helpful measure. But I suggest to my colleagues that 
an average 18-year-old student will not base whether they can go to 
college on whether their percentage of interest rate is 6.8 today or 
6.14 for the 2007 year. What would make a difference is the amount of 
aid, either grants or loans, that is immediately available to help them 
afford school. To make college accessible, we should focus on what we 
can do now for students, not when they graduate.
  Regardless of how you feel today, we need to work together on a 
bipartisan basis to increase Pell Grants to ensure that they are 
sufficient to help students to afford a higher education. This would be 
a very effective way to help students from low- and middle-income 
families afford college.

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