January 23, 2006

REID: OUR STUDENTS KNOW WHAT A CUT LOOKS LIKE, SO SHOULD OUR PRESIDENT

Washington, DC – Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid released the following statement today on the president’s claim that the $12.7 billion cut in the Republican budget is not a cut at all:

“The President may think that gutting $12.7 billion from student aid isn’t a cut, but our students certainly do. The cost of college tuition has skyrocketed, but the President and the Republican Congress have worked to make it even harder for thousands to afford. It is wrong and I hope that House Republicans will reject this budget cut before it is too late. Our students deserve better.”

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THE LARGEST CUT IN STUDENT AID IN HISTORY. The Republican budget bill makes the largest education cuts in history -- $12.7 billion from the student loan program -- and imposes higher fees on students and parents. The cost of a public higher education has increased by a staggering 46% since 2001, making it no wonder that more than 5.3 million students depended on Pell Grants in the 2004-2005 academic year. Instead of helping students succeed by increasing the award amount, the cut in the student loan program is combined with the Labor-HHS appropriation bill’s holding the maximum Pell grant at $4,050 for the fourth year in a row. [House Budget Committee Democrats; College Board; Labor-HHS Appropriations Conference Report]

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