Bush Fails to Make the Grade on Higher Education
April 19, 2006
Today, President Bush is in Tuskegee, Alabama, continuing his PR tour to tout his American Competitiveness Initiative. Despite the President's rhetoric, his Administration has worked to undermine higher education, making Americans less competitive with the rest of the world. While the President visits the historically black Tuskegee University, he should explain why his Administration and his Republican Congress have failed to make college more affordable for all Americans.
Further contradicting President Bush's competitiveness initiative, his latest budget would eliminate Perkins Loans, which would cause more than 670,000 student borrowers to lose out on loan forgiveness. Also, when President Bush campaigned in 2000, he pledged that he would make college more affordable and accessible by increasing the maximum Pell Grant for college freshmen to $5,100. Unfortunately, the President has gone back on his word falling short by nearly $1,000 of his promise to students. These cuts would not only make it difficult for families working hard to send their kids to college, it would also disproportionately hurt African-American students who rely heavily on financial aid.
"Under President Bush, American students and their families are facing huge tuition increases, skyrocketing health care costs, and rising gas prices," said Democratic National Committee spokesperson Amaya Smith. "Instead of working to ease the burdens on our middle class families, President Bush would eliminate Pell Grants and Perkins Loans, the very programs that offer opportunity to hundreds of thousands of America's youth.
"Too many families are struggling to keep pace with higher education costs. Higher Education is a critical tool in the competitive effort to keep America number one. Democrats are working to make America truly competitive by increasing not reducing opportunity and access to higher education."
Bush Budget Eliminates Perkins Loans, Forces Millions Of Low And Middle-Income Students To Pay Thousands More For The College Loans They Have. The Bush budget completely eliminates the Perkins Loan program. If this proposal is enacted, in 2006 alone more than 670,000 student borrowers would lose out on loan forgiveness if they became teachers, law enforcement officers or if they serve in the military. The Bush budget also eliminates the current low fixed consolidation rate benefit. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (CRS), this change will force the typical student borrower to pay $5,500 more for their college loans. [House Democrats]
Bush Breaks Promise To Raise The Maximum Pell Grant To $5,100. While campaigning in 2000, George W. Bush pledged to make college more affordable and accessible by increasing the maximum Pell Grant for college freshmen to $5,100. And yet the President breaks his promise once again in this budget, only increasing the maximum Pell Grant by $100 - from $4,050 to $4,150 - falling nearly $1,000 short of his promise to students. President Bush is breaking this promise at a time when college tuition is rising rapidly. [House Democrats]
