Fighting for Education and Our Youth

The ability to afford a college degree is in jeopardy for too many. Outstanding student loans now total more than $1.5 trillion, surpassing total credit card debt. More than half of 2016 Texas grads from 4-year institutions graduated with debt, pushing outstanding Texas student loan debt over $90 billion. So many social problems are inextricably linked with insufficient education, including life expectancy, segregation, the cycle of poverty, and public health issues. Public education is a right that, through hard work, provides a lifetime of benefits. It is not a privilege reserved for a fortunate, wealthy few. I have spoken out against President Trump’s proposed budget cuts, including slashing funding for the Department of Education by $3.8 billion. We need to invest in education and in our students, not cut already inadequate funding.

Easing the Financial Aid Process

The U.S. Department of Education has recognized outstanding community partnerships in San Antonio and Austin for their commitment to increase completion rates of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Despite local progress, too many students find the FAFSA too complicated to complete, so they lose access to available financial aid and abandon college education altogether.

In September 2015, I introduced a bill that would simplify the financial aid process by allowing use of tax information from two years before the year a student seeks aid for. In the week after that introduction, the Obama Administration announced a move to the very system I championed. 2016 marked the first year students could apply for financial aid using the FAFSA as early as October 1, instead of having to wait until the next year's tax season. Recognizing the need for an even simpler federal aid process, I introduced the Equitable Student Aid Access Act, which would further simplify the FAFSA process. My bill would also help ensure that all students who qualify for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or food assistance through SNAP, for example, would be able to complete a shorter form FAFSA to access the full Pell Grant amount. My bill also codifies the October availability of FAFSA and broadens access to the full Pell Grant amount for students and families who need it most.

Keeping College Affordable

The Pell Grant program is the primary federal financial aid program, providing scholarship aid to more than 22 million low and moderate-income students annually. I have worked to protect and expand Pell Grants, which serve as an equalizer for college students and make the college dream a reality. Students who attend our local colleges and universities rely on the Pell Grant to help finance their college degrees. For example, half of the student body at San Antonio College and Texas A&M-San Antonio, and one third at Texas State, receive Pell Grant funding. If you are willing to work to get yourself to college, I am willing to work to help get you through without insurmountable debt. I have committed to serve students and their families from pre-K to post-grad, and my commitment to affordable higher education will not waver. An investment in American students is an investment in America.

To lower the debt burden, I helped successfully pass the American Opportunity Tax Credit to save students and families up to $10,000 on tuition, textbooks, and other fees. Aptly known as the "More Education" tax credit, the credit has helped millions of students and working families pay for college since 2009. In February 2017, I introduced legislation to allow Pell Grant recipients to receive the full tax benefit of this credit, increase the credit’s lifetime maximum limit, and provide more help to those who most need it. 

Ensuring a Strong Start for Children

I believe we must increase access to high-quality early education by providing funding for pre-kindergarten classes for low-income children. I am a long-time supporter of the Child Care and Development Block Grant, Head Start, and Early Head Start. Whether or not America’s most vulnerable young children reach their full potential depends in large part on our investment in these programs. I opposed the Republican budgets that would result in deep cuts to funding for formula-driven education programs such as Title I and Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) which help ensure that the children who need the most assistance have the resources they need to succeed.

Keeping our Children Safe

The Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities, established by my Protect Our Kids Act that was signed into law, accepted my invitation to hold its first field hearing in San Antonio. We need a greater focus on abuse and neglect prevention and more resources to reduce caseloads for child welfare caseworkers. 

I also introduced a bill to help keep children out of foster care and with their families. The bill provides funding to create and maintain community-based prevention and intervention services, like family skills training, mentoring, and therapy. Every child needs a safe, happy home, and this bill helps families across America stay together and receive the services and support they need.