[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 132 (Thursday, September 17, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2312-E2313]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           STUDENT AID AND FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT OF 2009

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. JOHN D. DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 16, 2009

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3221) to 
     amend the Higher Education Act of 1965, and for other 
     purposes:

  Mr. DINGELL. Madam Chair, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 
3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act. For far too long 
private lenders have saddled our students with thousands of dollars of 
debt, all so they could make a profit. Today Congress puts an end to 
this ensuring that all students who desire a higher education can do so 
in an affordable manner.
  When I was growing up I was told that in order to have a good job you 
must graduate from grade school, and then it was high school and now it 
is college. Unfortunately the reality is that all too often, many of 
our brightest and best are not pursuing college because they cannot 
afford to do so. I hear time and time again from my young constituents 
who are working two or three part-time jobs all so they can take a 
class or two a semester. We cannot allow our brightest minds to burn 
out before they can complete their degree. Higher education should be 
an opportunity and not a burden.
  H.R. 3221 will change this by ensuring that the students are the 
focus of our higher education system once again. This legislation will 
change the way the student loan system functions by ensuring all new 
loans are operated through the Direct Loan program, saving the 
taxpayers $87 billion and guaranteeing our students have access to low-
cost, reliable federal loans.
  The savings from this change will be directed towards increasing 
government grant loan assistance for tuition payments. Pell grants, 
which serve nearly seven million students, will be increased to $5,550 
in 2010 and to $6,900 by 2019. To ensure that these grants continue to 
keep up with the rising costs of tuition, beginning in 2011 the grants 
will be linked to the Consumer Price Index.
  In my district more than 13,000 students rely on the Pell grant to 
help pay for their schooling. This increase of funding would be 
critical for each one of these students and would increase the total 
amount of Pell grant awards in the 15th District from $34 million to 
over $85 million.
  This legislation will also simplify the FAFSA, making it easier for 
families to apply for financial aid. By permitting families to use 
information from their tax returns, the FAFSA process will be more 
streamlined and effective for our students. This is critical for 
families in the 15th District who submitted nearly 38,000 applications 
last year and are anticipated to submit 56,000 in the 2012 school year.
  H.R. 3221 also lowers the interest rates on government-subsidized 
loans helping to lower college debt after graduation, which will be 
critical to the nearly 334,000 students in Michigan who rely on these 
loans.
  Increased funding will also be directed to our community colleges, 
many of whom in Michigan are overwhelmed with trying to serve the 
thousands of dislocated workers who are looking to start their second 
career. I have always believed that our community colleges and 
universities deserve equal treatment; however, this recession has made 
demonstrated the many different types of students our community 
colleges serve. This legislation will help these colleges to work more 
closely with our business community, the state and job training 
programs and adult education programs to ensure our adult learners have 
access to the support they need to complete their degree or 
certificate. And for the over 177,000 students currently enrolled in 
Michigan community colleges, we must ensure that they have safe, 
quality facilities in which to learn. Under H.R. 3221 Michigan will 
receive nearly $88 million to help finance projects to repair or 
construct new community college facilities.
  Overall this legislation makes unprecedented and much-needed reforms 
to our student aid system, however, we must also ensure that our 
colleges and universities have the resources and the support they need 
to implement this bill. I know for the colleges and universities in my 
district, they are already struggling with reduced financial assistance 
from the state, therefore, we must ensure that the consideration of any 
financial match is

[[Page E2313]]

weighed against the current situation in our economy, and what our 
schools are already committed to doing to assist needy students.
  Madam Chair, I am pleased to rise in support of this legislation and 
I urge strongly that my colleagues do the same. We have all watched the 
tuition at public and private colleges double, then triple as time has 
passed, creating a burdensome gap for our students to overcome. The 
students of this country are our greatest hope--they are our future 
doctors, our future lawyers, our future teachers and our future public 
servants. To not ensure that they have an affordable, quality education 
would be to shortchange their success and the success of our country.

                          ____________________