On the recordApril 22, 2015
Mr. Speaker, a college education should be accessible to all Americans. Currently, 40 million Americans have student loans, with an average balance of $29,000. This impacts our entire economy, as it prevents young people from buying homes, starting a family, and even buying a car. Mr. Speaker, we provide a high school education for all students because we recognize the advantages for our children and our society of having a good education. But a high school education is no longer enough if you want to get a good-paying job. A college education is necessary and essential in today's society in order to move ahead. It is an essential step to getting a good-paying job and joining the middle class. Mr. Speaker, we are stacking the deck against our young people. The cost of higher education is through the roof, and student loans are weighing on our youth at one of the most vulnerable points in their lives. Mr. Speaker, our parents and grandparents didn't have to take on this level of debt just to get an education. It is our responsibility to ensure that future generations have the same opportunities that our parents and grandparents had to access higher education without the burdensome student loan debt that we now carry. ____________________





