Senator Dodd issued a brief statement today congratulating the 228 Coast Guard Academy cadets who received their diplomas at commencement ceremony held earlier today at the Academy’s New London campus.  

“I offer my warmest congratulations to the Coast Guard Academy Class of 2007 for your accomplishment in graduating and taking up your commissions as officers in the United States Coast Guard.  As the Coast Guard’s newest leaders, you have many challenges to face in your future career.  As a vital component of our domestic security you will patrol our shorelines - intercepting those who seek to subvert our laws, responding to environmental emergencies, and serving as our national first responders to save those in harm’s way on the seas.

“Student loans are becoming an increasingly important component of attaining a higher education – which is essential to achieving the American Dream.  As the cost of higher education has risen, so too has the reliance of student borrowers on private loans as a way to bridge the gap between the cost of their higher education expenses and the limited funds made available via government guaranteed loans, grants, scholarships and other types of student aid.  As a member of the Committee on Help, Education, Labor and Pensions as well as Chairman of the Banking Committee, I intend to examine the many relevant issues regarding student lending, including the growth of the private educational loan market and its impact on student borrowers.  As part of that effort, my office has been in communication with other Senate offices, Republican as well as Democratic, representatives of the appropriate federal agencies, college administrators, lenders, and other higher education experts.  These actions have been taken for one overarching goal – to ensure that the various student lending programs continue to serve their very important purpose of making a higher education accessible and affordable for all Americans.”

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) last week introduced legislation to help American students better afford the rising costs of higher education. The College Savers’ Credit Act (CSCA) creates a refundable tax credit to help low- and moderate-income Americans save for college using Section 529 college savings accounts, in a similar fashion to existing incentives for retirement savings. With college tuition costs on the rise, the fully refundable College Savers’ Credit will help eligible students and families build savings specifically for meeting educational expenses, providing the greatest benefit to those who would otherwise have the greatest difficulty affording college. Each year, 200,000 students graduate high school academically qualified to continue their education in college, yet are unable to do so because they cannot afford the cost of tuition, books, room, and board.  The CSCA will help make the dream of attending college a reality for these students, strengthening the workforce and bolstering the U.S. economy for years to come.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), along with Senators John Kerry (D-MA), Richard Durbin (D-IL), and Russ Feingold (D-WI) yesterday introduced the Medical Education Affordability Act (MEAA), a bill that would help make medical and dental school more affordable by extending the economic hardship student loan deferment to cover the entire length of a medical or dental residency for eligible students.  The bill has been endorsed by the American Medical Student Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges, and the American Dental Education Association, along with several other organizations. 

In an effort to improve access to higher education for lower- and middle-income students, Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) yesterday introduced legislation that would increase the size of the authorized maximum Pell Grant.

“As the cost of college tuition rises, higher education is getting farther and farther out of reach for an entire generation of students,” said Dodd.  “Far too many students are simply unable to afford college, and it is our responsibility to provide them and their families with the financial assistance they need to further their education.  Pell Grants are critically important tools in making higher education a possibility for lower- and middle-income students.”

July 28, 2006

WASHINGTON – Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Joe Lieberman (D-CT) announced today the allocation of $897,901 from the U.S. Department of Education TRIO programs to Fairfield University, the University of Bridgeport and the University of Connecticut. The money will be used to provide a variety of support services to minority and first generation college students, including academic and financial counseling, to help them graduate high school, and attend and succeed in college.

Washington – Senator Dodd announced that a bill he co-authored, aimed at ensuring that vocational students and teachers have the latest technology available, has passed the Senate. Last year, Senator Dodd met with teachers and faculty at Gateway Community Technical College to unveil the details of the bill, which will help guarantee that the Connecticut and American workforce is the strongest in the world.

WASHINGTON- Senator Chris Dodd today co-sponsored a bill which would help make college more affordable for young men and women. The Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, of which Dodd is a member, today released a report which found that federal student aid has not kept up with the rising cost of attending college, and as a result, more students and their families are relying on loans to finance their higher education.