[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 27 (Friday, February 18, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E281]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             FULL-YEAR CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2011

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                               speech of

                         HON. RAUL M. GRIJALVA

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 15, 2011

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1) making 
     appropriations for the Department of Defense and the other 
     departments and agencies of the Government for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 2011, and for other purposes:

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Chair, a strong definition for gainful employment 
is vital to protect vulnerable borrowers from unmanageable debts 
incurred from heavily overpriced programs. The failure of the 
regulatory agency to define gainful employment up to this point has 
left open an avenue by which bad actors have taken advantage of the 
lack of regulation and created a number of overpriced programs of 
dubious academic quality targeted at underserved communities, people of 
color, and low-income students who have not been adequately prepared 
for a form of employment that will make it possible for those students 
to pay their loans back.
  This amendment stops this process in its tracks. A student who 
borrows large amounts of money to pay for a higher education should 
have a reasonable expectation that the degree or certificate she is 
working for will qualify her for employment at a job that will allow 
her to repay those loans at a manageable rate.
  The vast majority of programs around the country subject to this 
definition, whether public or private, for-profit or not-for-profit, 
are doing a good job of providing quality education and training at a 
reasonable price. Those schools and programs that are doing an 
effective job have every reason to distance themselves from the ones 
taking advantage of a lack of oversight, who make the entire industry 
look bad.
  This definition will not impede access to federal aid for any of 
these programs. In fact, if the rule were to be implemented in its 
current form, it would affect very few programs and many bad actors who 
are not concerned about the debts their students will be saddled with 
will continue to qualify.
  It's incredible to me that this amendment is being sold as a move to 
protect minority students. I, myself, cannot fathom how low-income 
people of color are protected by being tied to unmanageable and 
unforgiveable debts from federal loans that don't require a shred of 
evidence that the program will lead to any form of gainful employment 
for the borrower.

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