[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14516]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    PROVIDING CRITICAL FINANCIAL AID

  (Ms. STEFANIK asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. STEFANIK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of half a million 
students across the country who will lose access to critical financial 
aid without action by Congress.
  Perkins loans are an important resource for low- and middle-income 
students. A majority of those receiving this aid come from families 
with household incomes less than $30,000 a year. In my district alone, 
this program is used by students at Clarkson, Paul Smith's College, and 
SUNY Potsdam, SUNY Canton, and SUNY Plattsburgh.
  Without congressional action, these students will lose access to 
these important loans after September 30 when this program expires. I 
have introduced H.R. 2482, the Perkins Loan Program Extension Act, that 
will reauthorize this aid for two more years. I have been grateful to 
receive support from 160 bipartisan cosponsors.
  Mr. Speaker, we must ensure that low-income students have access to a 
quality education, and the Perkins Loan Program is a critical tool to 
help them succeed. I urge the House to swiftly pass my bill before the 
end of the month.

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