To fix student loans, respect education

The House Republican majority recently passed a budget that deeply slashes Pell Grants for nearly 10 million college students and allows student loan interest rates to double in July. While Democrats began working to prevent this interest rate increase, which would cost the average college student about $1,000 per year of school, one Republican member deemed it and rising college costs a “distraction” from our real problems.

What Republicans never seem to understand is that keeping college affordable for students and families is vital not just to the growth of our economy, but to the continued existence of the middle class. In this tough economy, people are turning to colleges and job training because they know that is the future for them, their families and the country.

According to the U.S. Census, the average college graduate makes almost $22,000 more a year than the average worker with a high-school degree. Over the course of a lifetime, that adds up to close to a million dollars in earnings. Meanwhile, about eight in 10 jobs in this economy are beyond the reach of workers who lack a post secondary credential like an industry certification, occupational credential or college degree. Read more.......