New Congress Expected to Give Education Higher Profile
Initiatives plan to improve college access and affordability.
By Charles Dervarics
With a major shakeup looming on Capitol Hill, education advocates are preparing for a new environment in which Democrats will seek more financial aid assistance and give higher education more visibility in Congress.
Democrats on the 2006 midterm campaign trail promised to cut student loan interest rates in half, create new education tax breaks and expand Pell Grant funding. By winning a majority in the House of Representatives and gaining control of the Senate, the party is raising expectations for quick action on several fronts in early 2007.
“Democrats will be under pressure to deliver on access and affordability,” says Barmak Nassirian, associate executive director of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.
As outlined by U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the likely new Speaker of the House, the Democrat’s education agenda includes three major higher education components:
-Student loans: Cut interest rates in half for student and parent loans, to 3.4 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively.
