[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16065]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            RECOGNIZING THE OBJECTIVES OF FINANCIAL AID DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. TIMOTHY H. BISHOP

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 24, 2011

  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
objectives of Financial Aid Day (FAD). FAD reserves the third Wednesday 
in October to honor the role financial aid professionals across the 
United States play in helping students realize their dream of attaining 
a college education.
  Today, student aid is under attack, despite that the fact that 
millions of students rely on and benefit from federal student aid each 
year. In fact, the number of students applying for federal financial 
assistance increased to approximately 19.5 million in 2010-2011, up by 
nearly seven million students since 2006- 2007. From school years 1999-
2000 to 2009-2010, the total amount of Title IV federal financial aid 
awarded to students jumped from $62.1 billion to an estimated $146.5 
billion, an increase of 136 percent.
  FAD recognizes that assisting citizens of all ages to attain a higher 
education puts aid administrators among the forefront of this nation's 
efforts to compete in the global economy and contribute to the common 
good. Without such dedicated administrators, an untold number of 
students from diverse financial backgrounds would not be able to 
continue their pursuit of higher education due to a lack of necessary 
information and counseling.
  Mr. Speaker, a post-secondary education would be unachievable for 
many of our nation's students without federal student aid. As such, I 
welcome the opportunity to honor those who serve these students on a 
daily basis. I support the goals of Financial Aid Day and I encourage 
my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to recognize the important 
role played by financial aid professionals in helping students realize 
their college dreams.

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