Darlene Hooley: “Americans have always seen access to higher education as one way to help them live out the American dream. Starting with…”

“Americans have always seen access to higher education as one way to help them live out the American dream. Starting with the Greatest Generation and the GI Bill, our Nation's citizens have been able to pursue an education beyond high school because of Federal assistance. Today's job market is increasingly knowledge driven, and people are deciding they need skills beyond what is taught in high school. Whether it is 2 years, 4 years, public, private or community based, students are realizing there are economic benefits to expanding their skill set beyond a high school education. An educated workforce will also stem the flight of jobs overseas. When I meet with the college students in my district, one of their biggest worries is, how am I going to pay off my student loans. As college tuition continues to skyrocket, more and more students are turning to loans to help meet the costs. In my State, the average debt for students coming out of a 4-year school is $15,000. This legislation will save those students, on average, $4,400 over the life of the loan.”