[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 19]
[House]
[Pages 25300-25301]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       REPUBLICAN RAID ON STUDENT AID SHOWS MISGUIDED PRIORITIES

  (Mr. CARNAHAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, parents and students should take note: 
College may soon get a lot more expensive if House Republicans get 
their way.
  This week, they plan to bring a budget reconciliation bill to the 
floor that cuts $14 billion in Federal student aid, the largest cuts in 
the program's history. Included are nearly $8 billion in new charges 
that will raise the cost of college loans through new fees and higher 
interest for millions of American students and families.
  For the typical student borrower already saddled with over $17,000 in 
debt, these new fees and higher interest charges will cost up to $5,800 
more.
  Financial barriers should never prevent a qualified student from 
going to college, and that is why America has long since made the 
commitment to help all Americans afford a higher education. Studies 
show that financial barriers alone will prevent over 4 million high 
school graduates from attending a 4-year public university over the 
next decade and prevent another 2 million from attending college at 
all.
  Mr. Speaker, the wrong priorities in this Republican budget 
reconciliation will put college out of reach for millions of American 
students. It should be rejected.

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