U.S. Senator Ken Salazar

Member of the Agriculture, Energy and Veterans Affairs Committees

 

2300 15th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510

 

 

For Immediate Release

July 24, 2007

CONTACT:    Stephanie Valencia

                        202-228-3630

 

 

 Sen. Salazar Praises Passage of the Higher Education Authorization Bill
 Bill reauthorizes, improves and expands federal programs that aim to make college more affordable

WASHINGTON – Over the last two weeks the Senate has been considering two pieces of legislation that will make college more affordable and more accessible for millions of young people. Today, as the Senate passed the Higher Education Authorization Bill (S.1642), United States Senator Ken Salazar highlighted the substantial impact that this legislation, coupled with the Higher Education Access Act of 2007 (H.R.2669) that the Senate passed last week, will have on rising college costs and access to affordable education for young people in Colorado.

“In a competitive global economy, a college education is more important than ever,” said Senator Salazar. “Yet the cost of college is quickly outpacing many family incomes and federal aid has failed to keep up. In Colorado alone, the average cost for attending a public college has increased by 38% over the last five years. These rising college costs are discouraging too many people from pursuing a higher education. More and more students that put their education first, end up graduating with unmanageable debt,” added Salazar.

Over half of Colorado college seniors are graduating with an average debt of over $16,000. The Higher Education Authorization Bill and the Higher Education Access Act of 2007, that the Senate passed, reauthorize, strengthen, and expand federal education aid programs, address unethical practices of the student loan industry, and simplify the financial aid process for students. Under the bills, over 83,500 Colorado students would be eligible for an additional $38 million in need-based grant for the upcoming school year and $325 million over the next five years.

“Federal student aid programs gave me the chance I needed to achieve success. I believe we should provide all Americans with that same opportunity,” added Salazar.

The Higher Education Authorization Bill passed by the Senate today would:

  • Reform the Student Loan System so it Works For Students, Not Lenders: Amendments to this Act will require limits to conflicts of interests between schools and lenders to ensure that students aren’t taken advantage of.


  • Protects Working Students: The Act reduces the work penalty on students who are working their way through college, increasing the amount of student income sheltered from the financial aid process.


  • Simplifies the Financial Aid Process by Reforming the FAFSA: Sometimes the complexity of the financial aid process is a barrier to for many. The Act simplifies the FAFSA and makes it more student friendly. It also increases the income level at which a student is automatically eligible for the maximum Pell Grant, to ensure that lower-income students have received adequate aid.


  • Improving Digital and Wireless Technology for Minority Serving Institutions: Many minority-serving institutions face a digital divide because of lack of resources. The Act includes an amendment, supported by Senator Salazar and introduced by Senator John Warner and approved by the Senate yesterday, would create a five-year competitive grant program to help minority-serving colleges increase and improve their digital and wireless technology infrastructures. The program created by this amendment will be used by schools to increase access to computers, technology, and the Internet to their students, which is vital in today’s technologically-focused workforce. For Colorado, there are six Hispanic Serving Institutions that could compete for these grants, including the Community College of Denver, Adams State College, Colorado State University – Pueblo, Otero Community College, Pueblo Community College and Trinidad community college.

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