[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 1314]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             STUDENT LOANS

  (Ms. WATSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, this week Democrats will continue to meet 
the needs of the American people by introducing the legislation to cut 
student loans interest rates in half.
  The cost of attending college continues to skyrocket, putting college 
out of reach for more and more students. Tuition and fees at public 
universities have increased by 41 percent after inflation since the 
2000-2001 academic year, and fees at private universities have jumped 
17 percent after inflation. Today, the typical student borrower 
graduates from college with $17,500 in debt. According to the 
Department of Education, the rising cost of higher education will 
prevent 4.4 million high school graduates from attending a 4-year 
college over the next decade.
  Madam Speaker, more than ever the health of our economy rests on 
having a highly skilled and educated workforce. College access is key 
to America's future, and cutting student loan interest rates is key to 
making college more affordable to millions of Americans.

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