Congressman DeSaulnier Calls for Passage of Bill to Reauthorize Perkins Loans
Asks Speaker Boehner for bipartisan action before October 1st deadline
Washington, DC– Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) spoke on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives today to highlight the imminent expiration of the Perkins Loan Program on October 1, 2015. The program provides low interest loans to economically disadvantaged students to help finance their postsecondary educations. A bill to reauthorize the program for a year, the Higher Education Extension Act (H.R. 3594), was passed on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives this afternoon with bipartisan support.
"Students from across the country who attend California schools, like Saint Mary's College in my district, are able to receive a top notch education through assistance programs like the Perkins Loan Program. We can't put another barrier in their path toward success in today's high-skilled economy. While I am pleased Congress acted to temporarily extend the program, we must find a long-term solution to ensure that our students continue to receive the assistance they need and deserve, "said Congressman DeSaulnier.
In the 2013-2014 academic year, this critical program assisted nearly 540,000 students nationwide with more than 1,500 colleges and universities across the United States participating. In California, which is the second largest recipient of these loans, 46,000 students received over $105 million in assistance. This assistance, combined with California's unique network consisting of the California Community College system, the California State University system, the University of California system, and other private and public institutions, increases access to higher education opportunities and improves the state's economy by ensuring that today's students are tomorrow's highly-trained workforce.
Congressman DeSaulnier also spearheaded a letter, sent by California Members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, to Speaker Boehner urging for swift action to consider H.R. 3594 on the floor of the House of Representatives before the October 1st deadline. A copy of that letter can be found here.
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