WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) today honored her commitment to finish the hard work of Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Senator Edward M. Kennedy and Ranking Member Michael B. Enzi (R-Wyo.) with the Senate’s passage of the College Opportunity and Affordability Act (H.R.4137). The bill, which has taken 13 extensions and 10 years to pass, makes sweeping reforms to modernize the Higher Education Act of 1965, including increasing grant aid and access for the nation’s neediest students, returning Soldiers and those enrolled in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), simplifying the federal aid application process, and adding new measures to go after the cronyism, kickbacks and sweetheart deals discovered between financial aid offices and the student loan industry. The bill now heads to the President to be signed into law.

“Families in my state of Maryland are worried. Many are holding down more than one job to make ends meet. While they are dealing with rising gas prices and a struggling economy, they don’t know how they can afford to send their kids to college. Families are looking for help and I’m proud that we have some good news,” said Senator Mikulski. “This bill is just the beginning. We still need to do more to help middle class families afford college and give our students the freedom to achieve. To have a safer America and a stronger economy, we need to have a smarter America. We need to invest in our human capital and give students freedom to achieve to create a world class workforce. That means making college education affordable.”

Also included in the legislation are bold new steps to expand college prep programs that help prepare first generation students for college, new programs to better prepare new and prospective K-12 teachers, and increased funding to help address the nursing faculty shortage at schools across the country, which turned away more than 40,000 candidates last year because they lacked capacity.

Senator Mikulski’s statement, as prepared, is below:

“This is a Democratically-led, bipartisan agreement done under the leadership of Senator Kennedy. When my dear friend Ted Kennedy fell ill, the news hit me like a bolt out of the sky. By the beginning of June, he was on the mend, ready to move his priorities. He asked me to take over as acting Chairwoman of the Committee. He wasn’t going to let his illness stop this important legislation. I was proud to take over for him. I could not have done it without bipartisan cooperation. Thank you, Senator Enzi. Your steadfast support moved this bill forward. And thank you to every member of the HELP Committee for their enormous contributions to this legislation.

“I believe in the freedom to achieve – which is about believing in students. It’s about government helping students achieve, so they can follow their dreams. There are lots of freedoms – freedom of speech, press, expression. But I believe in the freedom to achieve. I believe in providing opportunities to get ahead and giving people the ability to follow the American dream. That means access to higher education that’s affordable, that students and families can count on, and a degree that no one can ever take away. We know that higher education doesn’t just accrue to our students, but to society as a whole. We want students to have every opportunity to make the new discoveries, to win the Nobel prizes and the markets. They are the next geniuses that will create new ideas, breakthroughs and products.

“Our middle class families are stressed and stretched. Families in my state of Maryland are worried. They’re worried about their jobs and gas prices. They’re terrified of losing their health care as costs continue to balloon. Many are holding down more than one job to make ends meet. They’re racing from carpools to work and back again. But most of all, they don’t know how they can afford to send their kids to college. Families are looking for help and they want to know what we’re doing in Congress to help them. I’m proud that we have some good news.

“This bill increases need-based aid for students. It authorizes an increase in Pell Grants – from $4,800 per year to $6,000 per year – and allows students to receive Pell grants year round so that they can attend school year round and earn while they learn. It simplifies the federal financial aid application process by reducing the seven page form to two pages. The current system is far too complex and many students fail to get aid they’re entitled to. Families shouldn’t have to pay an accountant to fill out a form. They could use that money for books. It also helps military veterans and their families by allowing service members to defer their student loans – interest free – while on active duty. New scholarships will be created for children and family members of veterans who have died since 9/11. This bill also makes college a reality for more students with disabilities by making students with intellectual disabilities eligible for Pell grants and federal work-study funds for the first time ever.

“This bill also helps schools. We’re facing a national teacher shortage. The neediest kids end up suffering the most. This bill improves teacher quality, training and retention. It promotes high-quality and effective teacher prep programs.

“We will need one million new nurses within the next decade. Nursing schools turned away over 40,000 candidates last year because they just don’t have the capacity to meet demand. This bill helps nursing schools expand capacity to enroll more students and helps them hire and retain their nurse faculty.

“This bill also expands Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Capital Financing Program that helps HBCUs expand their capacity. It helps them build new classrooms and labs, and to purchase equipment. The bill increases loan limits for HBCUs from $375 million per school to $1.2 billion per school. It also creates a new disaster loan program for HBCUs hit by Hurricane Katrina, such as Dillard University, Xavier and Southern University. It provides funds to help rebuild and renovate their campuses.

“The legislation takes major steps to end cronyism, kickbacks and sweetheart deals between financial aid offices and the student loan industry. In some cases, school officials offered students their loans based on which lender gave the best gifts, trips and other perks, not based on what was the best deal for the student. This bill makes sure students get loans with the best interest, not in the broker’s best interest.

“This bill is just the beginning. We still need to do more to help middle class families afford college and give our students the freedom to achieve. We need to double Pell grants, we need to make sure student loans are affordable, and we need a bigger tuition tax credit for families stuck in the middle who aren’t eligible for Pell Grants, but still can’t afford college. To have a safer America and a stronger economy, we need to have a smarter America. We need to invest in our human capital and give students freedom to achieve to create a world class workforce. That means making college education affordable.”

Photos of Senators Mikulski and Enzi on the phone with Senator Kennedy just before the vote are available at http://mikulski.senate.gov/Newsroom/PressPictures/index.cfm.