RAHALL REPORT: Learning Should Be Open to All
From the desk of U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV)Representing West Virginia's 3rd District
Washington, D.C. (HNN) -- It's hard to believe, but it's that time of year again – the time when the swimsuits and sunscreen are replaced with backpacks and bagged lunches – the time when the pools and parks become quiet and the halls of our educational institutions again become filled to the brim with eager students ready to learn.
For many children it's an exciting time. Pencils are sharpened with care and precision, notebooks and textbooks carefully opened so as to not create a crease. New friendships are made, old ones are renewed and, most importantly, the doors of learning are flung open wide for all to participate.
It's important that these same doors remain open for our students who wish to continue their educations. Unfortunately, it's getting more and more expensive to send a child to college. Recent reports indicate that, from 2001 through 2006, the price of tuition, fees, and room and board at four-year public institutions has increased by 44 percent. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the average student debt has increased by more than 50 percent over the last decade. Today, the typical borrower in West Virginia now graduates from college with $17,607 in debt.
And as the price of college increases, so does the need to get a degree. Today, six out of every 10 jobs require some postsecondary education and training. Furthermore, today's college graduates earn over $1 million more over their lifetimes than those without college degrees.
But instead of helping West Virginia students when they need it most, the Republican leadership in Washington has made it HARDER to pay for college-cutting $12 billion out of federal student aid programs. The Republican budget bill imposes higher fees on students, increases the interest rates on loans, and cuts some subsidies to lenders.
What does all of this mean for West Virginia students and their families? It means we are facing a misery tax that we can ill afford.
I, along with 61 of my Democratic colleagues, have co-sponsored a bill in the House of Representatives that would make college more affordable for West Virginians. The Reverse The Raid On Student Aid Act, which calls for expanding and simplifying tax credits for college tuition, expanding Pell Grants and cutting interest rates in half on students loans, would save the average West Virginia student $5,661 over the lifetime of their loans.
Benjamin Franklin once said, "An investment in education always pays the best interest." It's my hope that my colleagues will join me in support of what is quite obviously an important investment in both the quality of life of our children and our ability as a Nation to remain globally competitive.
This fall, as students go back to school, I will continue my efforts to make higher education affordable for all Americans. And to all West Virginia students and teachers heading back to the classroom, may each of you have an enriching and enlightening school year.