Political Quotes

“Mr. President, lately it seems that there is nothing the Senate can agree on. We argue on partisan lines over every issue imaginable. But I know of at least one issue that would bring every Member of the Senate to the floor in agreement: Pell grants. This is a program designed to help poor students get the education they need to give themselves and their families a better future. Millions of Americans have seen the benefits of the Federal investment in Pell grants first hand. Over the past 2 years, the Congress has provided significant increases in funding to the Pell grant program. We have raised the maximum Pell grant to an all time high of $5,550 and we set a course so the grants will continue to rise reaching almost $6,000 in 2017. I have supported those increases. The recent expansion of the Pell grant program is essential for our economic recovery as Americans are returning to college to learn new skills. But the investment does not come without a cost. To finance the higher Pell grant levels, we invested $17 billion from the Recovery Act and $36 billion from the recent reconciliation bill. And we still have a shortfall this year caused by the tremendous new demand for Pell grants. I have spoken before about my concern that increases to Federal student aid are diminished by the skyrocketing cost of higher education at many colleges and universities, but today I want to discuss a new threat to the Federal Pell grant program--in the form of for-profit colleges.…”