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Dear Friend,
With the new school year upon us, I’m sure that there are many different things on your mind for how best to manage your child’s education. In Maryland, we are fortunate to have strong partnerships between our state and federal officials that have led to our schools ranking number one in the nation for the second year in a row. I am continuing to work in the House of Representatives to ensure that Maryland receives its fair share of federal resources so that this school year will be safe, happy, healthy, and affordable for you and your family.
K-12 EDUCATION
Keeping Teachers on the Job
Each day I hear from Marylanders who are struggling to make ends meet during these difficult economic times. State and local governments all over the country are faced with cuts to basic services and layoffs of critical personnel like teachers and first responders. For this reason, the House of Representatives reconvened for a special session on August 10, 2010 to pass emergency legislation aimed at helping states manage these budget shortfalls without slashing the number of teachers in our classrooms. I voted in favor of this bill, which passed by a vote of 247 to 161, and President Obama signed it into law that same day. The emergency funding that the new law provides will avert more than 2,200 teacher layoffs from impacting Maryland’s classrooms for the coming school year.
Race to the Top
The innovative instruction that is taking place in Maryland is one of the many reasons that the Maryland State Department of Education has recently been awarded a $250 million “Race to the Top” grant, which is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed by the Congress. This money will now go to benefit students across the state and keep Maryland on the cutting-edge of education innovation. You can find more information about the “Race to the Top” initiative here.
High School Art Competition
Each spring, a nation-wide high school arts competition is sponsored by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The competition is an opportunity to recognize and encourage the artistic talent in the nation, as well as in each Congressional District. The competition is open to all high school students. The winning piece from each Congressional District will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol. Please contact my office at 410-832-8890 for more information.
U.S. Service Academies
Each year I am privileged to make nominations to the U.S. service academies, including the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. If you are interested in applying to one of these academies, visit my web site for more information.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Keeping College Affordable
In Maryland, Governor O’Malley has taken steps to freeze tuition at state schools for the past four years. But many working families continue to struggle with the costs of higher education, and our children are entering a workforce that often demands a college degree.
Congress is working with colleges and universities to find ways to combat this trend. As part of this effort, colleges are now reporting to Congress on the causes of tuition increases and must provide students with fair and full information about their borrowing options when taking out and repaying student loans, including the terms and conditions of both federal and private student loans. They must also provide students with advance information on textbook pricing to help them plan for expenses before each semester.
Strengthening Financial Aid Programs
Congress passed legislation to simplify and streamline the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process. It is now an easy-to-navigate two-page form for low-income families. The FAFSA form is created by the U.S. Department of Education and is the primary mechanism to access federal financial aid for education.
We also invested additional resources in the Pell Grant scholarships program so that millions more eligible families can take advantage of federal financial aid and attend college. In addition, the maximum annual Pell Grant scholarship will increase to $5,550 in 2010 and to $5,975 by 2017. Starting in 2013, the scholarship will be linked to match rising costs-of-living by indexing it to the Consumer Price Index. We have expanded opportunities to access financial literacy and support services so that once students arrive at school, they can complete their education and receive a degree.
We are honoring the service of our military families by enhancing the Montgomery GI Bill program so that it keeps up with modern day costs of a higher education and by creating a scholarship program for the children and spouses of active duty military service members or veterans. And we are working to secure the next generation of teachers by providing tuition assistance to students who commit to teaching in public schools in high-poverty communities or high-need subject areas.
Making Student Loan Repayment Affordable
Many who are fortunate to earn a degree still grapple with student loan debt long after they graduate. Predictably, this has a significant effect on their career options. That is why I authored a new law to create a Public Service Loan Forgiveness Option, which provides forgiveness of student loan debt after 10 years of work in public service. Public service careers include teachers, first responders, many health professionals, civil servants, public interest attorneys, and many others in the non-profit sector jobs that are important and rewarding but often not particularly lucrative.
Here’s how the program works. Individuals with federal direct or direct consolidated student loan debt can apply for a new repayment plan called the Income-Based Repayment option, or IBR, to cap their monthly loan payments at no more than 15 percent of their income. If they make regular payments under IBR and remain in public service for ten years, these individuals will receive significant loan forgiveness. For example, a graduate with $100,000 in qualifying debt at 6.8 percent interest who took a full time public service job starting at $40,000 would pay $309 a month under IBR (as opposed to $1151 under standard 10-year repayment). If this individual gets annual salary increases of 5 percent, their monthly payments under IBR rise proportionately. After 10 years in public service the remaining principal and interest would be forgiven, saving this individual $118,868. For additional information on how the IBR option or the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program may benefit you or someone you know, please visit http://www.house.gov/htbin/leave_site?ln_url=http://www.ibrinfo.org/. It’s my hope that these new programs will help graduates to pursue the career of their dreams, not just the one that will pay off their loans.
I wish you and your family a safe and healthy start to this new school year and encourage you to contact my office at 410-832-8890 if I can be of service to you.
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