Virginia Foxx: “Today, too many Americans struggle to realize the dream of higher education. Our current system is unaffordable…”

“Today, too many Americans struggle to realize the dream of higher education. Our current system is unaffordable, inflexible, and outdated, and it has resulted in too many students unable to complete college, saddled with loan debt, and ill-equipped to compete in our modern economy. In recent years, burdensome Federal regulations, a lack of transparency, and a dizzying maze of student aid programs have only contributed to the problem. Students and families deserve better. Mr. Speaker, when my husband and I were in high school and contemplating the possibility of college, we were penniless people. In his case, his parents had no formal education--they couldn't read and write--and my family had very limited education, but we understood then that the way out of poverty was to go to college, work hard, and get a good job. Folks like us who had no resources could do that. It is very difficult for people in this day and time to do what he and I did. He graduated from college with a very small debt. I graduated from college with absolutely no debt because of working my way through. It did take me 7 years to do it, but I was able to do it. Mr. Speaker, we want to be able to provide an environment in this country where people with very limited resources can do what my husband and I and millions of other young people did in the past, which is get a higher education without going deeply into debt to do so.…”