"As a former school board president, I understand the importance of making a quality education available to all children. The lessons that are learned in classrooms across Indiana and our country provide our children with the foundation they need to have a successful future. As your Congressman, I will work to see that Hoosier schools and teachers have the resources they need to provide students with a quality education."

-    Congressman Donnelly

Congressman Donnelly visits Penn High School in Mishawaka in 2011.

Making College More Affordable

Since coming to Congress, Congressman Donnelly has worked to make it easier for Hoosiers to afford a college education. He has voted to cut the interest rate in half on subsidized loans, increase the maximum Pell Grant by 27%, incentivize colleges to keep tuition increases to less than one percent per year, and create and extend the "American Opportunity" tax credit of $2,500 through 2012, which is used to help offset the costs of a higher education.

In June 2012, Congressman Donnelly voted to keep the need-based federal student loan interest rate at its current level, 3.4%, through June 30, 2013, therefore preventing the rate from doubling on July 1, 2012 for new college students. Taking action to stop the doubling of these rates will save more than 200,000 Hoosier students an average of $1,000 over the life of their loans. Congressman Donnelly believes that Hoosier college graduates should not be burdened with unmanageable debt from their investment in their education.