Nancy Pelosi
San Francisco –Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today in commemoration of the sixth anniversary of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, which represents the single largest investment in college aid in our nation’s history:
“Six years ago today, Democrats enacted the largest investment in college aid in our nation’s history. The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act dramatically reduced student loan costs, increased the maximum Pell Grant, and strengthened community colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and other Minority Serving Institutions. We empowered more Americans by putting a higher education and the economic opportunity that it provides within reach of their children and themselves.
“Nothing returns more to the Treasury than investments in education. Sadly, House Republicans have proposed a ‘Road to Ruin’ budget that threatens to make it harder, not easier, for students to afford higher education. Republicans continue to call for cutting and freezing Pell grants, and they continue to stand with the special interests in blocking legislation to help Americans struggling under record student loan debt.”
“Education remains the single most effective investment parents can make in their children, individuals can make in themselves, and a nation can make in its future. House Democrats continue to work to make college more affordable and accessible by fighting to make two years of community college tuition-free for responsible students, striving to restore year-round Pell Grants, and by championing the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act to help lift the crushing burden of student loan debt that weighs on so many young Americans. As we mark six years since Democrats passed the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act into law, we stand tall to ensure an affordable college education is within reach of every American.”