Political Quotes

“I rise this morning to discuss the very pressing challenge that too many of our young people are facing; that is, the issue of college affordability. As I travel throughout New Hampshire, I continue to hear young people and their families express their deep concerns about the high cost of college and about their student loans. In New Hampshire this problem is especially significant because New Hampshire ranks second highest in the Nation for the proportion of students who are graduating from college with debt and also for the average amount of debt per graduate. Seventy-four percent of students in New Hampshire graduate with debt, and that debt is an average of $33,000 per student. I have talked to some young people who worry that they are never going to be able to get out from under that student debt burden. We all know that obtaining a college education has been viewed as a step that can propel Americans into the middle class, allowing them to pursue goals such as starting a family, opening a business, or purchasing a home. Unfortunately, education costs have increased at four times the rate of inflation from 1985 to 2011. This is a problem that has both short- term and long-term implications for our citizens who want to continue their education after high school. It is also a problem that has serious implications for the Nation's economy.…”