Bobby Scott: “I rise in support of the College Cost Reduction Act and the rule which makes in order the manager's amendment to the…”

“I rise in support of the College Cost Reduction Act and the rule which makes in order the manager's amendment to the bill. We know that higher education is crucial, not only to the individual but also to our Nation. We know, for example, that the more you learn, the more you earn. We know that those who are in college are much less likely to be involved with welfare, much less likely to be involved in crime. Education is critical for our national economy. We know that the economic future of the United States depends on the success of our higher education policy. We can't afford to have any of our children fail to achieve full potential because they were not able to afford to go to college. There are many improvements in the bill. The cost of education through student loans will be made more affordable. There are significant increases in Pell Grants. One of the major increases, the first in the last 4 years, $500 over the next 4 years, will be the increase in the maximum Pell Grant award. We know this is critical, because in the last 6 years, the cost of college education has gone up about 55 percent, but in the last 4 years, the Pell Grant didn't go up at all.”