Doris Matsui: “in our country, education has long been viewed as the doorway to opportunity. Unfortunately, if we pass this rule and…”

“in our country, education has long been viewed as the doorway to opportunity. Unfortunately, if we pass this rule and the underlying legislation, we will be closing this door for many. Over the past year, I have sat down with students at Sacramento State University in my hometown of Sacramento. These young people are so talented and so filled with the possibility of tomorrow, but they are all concerned about the cuts to financial aid and their ability to finish college. This legislation will not address their concerns and, actually, will probably increase them. The inability to afford college was less of an issue for my generation. When I was growing up in California, there was never a concern that I couldn't go to college. But this is not the case today. In all likelihood, my parents would have a very difficult time putting together a package that would allow me to go to college because, across the Nation, the average tuition and fees at 4-year public colleges have risen 40 percent since 2001 when adjusted for inflation. Yet when also adjusted for inflation, the maximum Pell Grant last year was worth $800 less than it was in 1975, and this bill only raises the authorizing level by a mere $200 over 6 years. The spending cuts this Congress passed earlier this year represented the single largest cut to the Nation's Federal student aid programs ever. Sadly, this bill fails to reverse that trend, and it puts college even further out of reach for many.…”