March 3, 2007
The hallmark of any democracy is an educated citizenry that
is capable of engaging in a dialogue with itself and with the government.
Additionally, in today's global economy, the need for America's
youth to receive a college education has never been greater. Education of our
young men and women is necessary to ensure that America
remains a world leader. Unfortunately, many young Americans must forgo this
opportunity because of economic hardships.
To this end, I have proudly introduced the Increasing Access
to Higher Education Act (H.R. 722). This legislation increases the cap on
Federal Pell Grants from $4,350 to $4,810 per year for eligible students.
Additionally, I supported H.R. 990, the Pell Grant Equity Act, which the House
of Representatives recently approved. This bill repeals the so-called
tuition sensitivity provisions of the Pell Grant program which penalize
students, most of whom are from lower-income families, simply because they
attend lower-cost institutions of higher education, including community
colleges. This unfair and unwise policy punishes schools which keep their
costs low and the deserving students who want to attend them.
Tuition costs continue to spiral ever-higher, making
financing a college education extremely difficult - especially for the middle
class. This is unacceptable. Today, America's
students are no longer competing against themselves. They are competing against
the world.
I have the greatest faith that America's
youth will rise to this challenge, but they need and deserve to have all the
opportunities possible to follow their intellectual curiosity wherever it may
lead them. America's
youth, and their parents, should not make determinations of the most important
commodity based solely on economic factors.
Unfortunately, economics do drive many of our decisions,
including college decisions. According to recent data, the average cost
(tuition and other associated costs) for a four-year private college is about
$30,000 per year. The average cost for a four-year state college is almost
$13,000 per year. Both of these figures represent a growth of over 5.5% from
the previous academic year, while the average rate of inflation during the same
time period hovered around 3.3%.
The data clearly shows that affording a college education is
growing at a faster rate than the average American's paycheck. While the cost
of a quality college education is incalculable, its impact on America's
families force people into making difficult decisions that not only affects the
present but their children's futures.
We need to work together to solve this problem before it
spirals out of control. I know this legislation is not the final solution to solving
the crisis facing this nation, but it is a first step. I invite all parties to
put forth ideas for solutions to ensure that college is affordable to all
Americans and that the dream of higher education becomes the reality of higher
education.
Federal and state governments, along with the private sector
and the education community need to come together to ensure every American has
the right to earn the opportunity to pursue a college education.
Today's students are tomorrow's leaders, and we need to
invest in them for the sake of everyone's future.
The author is Congressman
Gus M. Bilirakis (R-Palm
Harbor)
Representative for Florida's
Ninth District.
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