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 As
college acceptance letters fill mailboxes this spring, many families may
experience “sticker shock” as they plan for the next four or more years
of higher education for their children. While it is many parents’ dreams
for his or her child to have a better education, career, and life than
he or she has had, concerns about paying for college education are
increasing due to the rising gas prices and weakening economic reports
we face today.
Today, we see a work place that increasingly demands more from its
employees. Educationally, this means a college degree and often a
post-graduate degree. Because of this, the number of young adults
attending college has increased dramatically since we, as young adults,
entered the workforce. As our children have grown, our concerns have
changed as well, from preparing them for the life ahead to making sure
that their future endeavors are supported. With this support also comes
the burden of paying for college, either by paying for our children’s
college in full, assisting in paying, or by giving our children guidance
and education on how they can pay for it themselves.
Today, tuition costs are higher than ever before, and they are
continuing to rise at an alarming rate. According to the House of
Representatives Committee on Education and Labor, college costs
have grown nearly 40% in the last five years. Because of this, many
qualified students have delayed going to college or have decided not to
attend at all because they do not think they have the means to pay for
their education. Many of those young adults who do attend college are
graduating with more debt than ever before.
The Department of Education reports that in the 1976-1977 school year,
the average cost charged to students for tuition, fees, room, and board
at a four-year public institution was $2,577. In 2005-2006, it was
$17,447—
a 577% increase, in constant dollars from 30 years ago and these prices
are continuing to rise. In fact, college costs have risen significantly
in just the past year. According to the College Board, the average cost
of tuition and fees at a public two-year college in 2007-08 was $2,361,
4.2 percent higher than just one year before.
In response to the dramatic increases in college tuition, Congress has
begun to take action to address this concern. In 2007, the
College
Cost Reduction and Access Act was passed, which will make college
more affordable for low-income students by increasing funding for
Federal Pell Grants that provide need-based grants to low-income
undergraduate students. I supported this bill, which raises the maximum
Pell Grant award per student from $5,800 to $11,600 over five years, and
provides over $500 million in funding for Historically Black Colleges
and Universities and other Minority-Serving Institutions over the next
two years. Additionally, this legislation gradually reduces the interest
rate on subsidized Stafford loans provided to undergraduate students.
As of July 1, 2006, Stafford loans have a fixed interest rate of 6.8%.
The College Cost Act decreases this fixed interest rate to 3.4% by 2012.
To benefit military families, the bill provides in-state tuition rates
to dependents of military service members within their current state of
residence. The College Cost Reduction Act also provides incentives by
providing tuition assistance for undergraduate students who agree to
teach in the nation’s public schools, loan forgiveness for college
graduates who go into public service professions, and increased federal
loan limits so that students won’t have to rely as heavily on costlier
private loans. It will also increase financial aid by nearly $20 billion
over the next five years.
Just last week, I voted to increase access to student loans.
H.R.
5715, the Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act of 2008,
will increase students’ access to financial resources by increasing the
amount of unsubsidized federal loans a student may be eligible to
receive. The bill would raise borrowing limits by $2,000 and would
prevent students from being penalized if their parents are struggling
with their home mortgage or medical bills for less than six months.
In addition to these legislative steps, it is more important than ever
for us as parents to know how we can help our children plan and prepare
for college financially. Although most student aid comes from federal
education loans and grants from colleges, it is important to understand
all of the options before deciding on the best choice for your family.
The College Board
provides more information on all the different types of financial aid
that can be available to your family, along with how to apply for all.
As a nation, we must continue to push for affordable higher education
for our children and future generations so that the power of our economy
and the hard-working, educated workforce remains competitive into the
next generation. These are important as we must continue to look for
ways to improve federal student aid programs and become more creative in
developing funding alternatives for our young people.
For information that can assist you in determining the best funding
options for you and your family, please visit the student resource
center on my website at
forbes.house.gov/ConstituentServices/students.htm. For more
information on recent education accomplishments that I supported, please
visit my issues page on my website at
forbes.house.gov/issues/education.htm.
Chinese Espionage
An editorial by Congressman Forbes was recently featured in the
Washington Times. Click the link below to continue reading the editorial
on Chinese Espionage. In addition, Congressman Forbes discussed Chinese
espionage in an interview with Fox News. Click the video clip below to
watch that interview, which aired on Fox News April, 24, 2008. By J. Randy
Forbes - On Feb. 11, the United States announced that four
individuals were arrested on charges of conducting espionage operations
for the Chinese against American interests. One employee, who worked for
the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, was hours from meeting his
Chinese intelligence service contact when he was arrested.
The reaction from the Chinese was swift and fierce. "A farce," they
called it, and "Cold War thinking." We are to be assured that the
accusations that China is spying on the United States are groundless.
I could not disagree more. While there is little broad agreement about
U.S. defense and trade policy toward China, there is widespread
agreement among security experts that China is systematically seeking
classified information about the United States. These arrests were not
isolated incidents, but rather just public examples of a long string of
events that have been building over the last decade.
Click here to continue reading.
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