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U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown
Addressing the
Rising Cost of Education for Ohio Students
While a college degree continues to be an important goal for so many
Americans, the rising cost of education has left too many Ohio students
wondering how they will afford to pay for school. We know how important
higher education is to the economic security of American households.
M.I.T. economist David Autor recently estimated that, over a lifetime,
workers with a college degree earned an additional $500,000 over those
without one.
U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) is focused on promoting educational
and workforce opportunities for Ohioans. Each year, he meets with
presidents from colleges and universities across the state to discuss
pressing issues such as affordability and curriculum. Ohio’s two and
four-year colleges, universities, and vocational schools play a crucial
role in shaping our students and our workforce, and it is critical that
education and training are within reach for all Americans.
Sen. Brown is the proud cosponsor of two pieces of legislation that
will help Ohioans pay for higher education. The first, the Working
Student Act, would increase the amount of money a student can earn from
employment before it counts against her financial aid package. A
dependent, undergraduate student attending college during the 2013-14
school year was limited to earning $6,130 or risk having their federal
student aid cut. These limitations encourage students not work. They
instead force students into taking on more debt to cover their
incidental expenses on items such as textbooks or school supplies.
The Career and Technical Education (CTE) Opportunity Act would allow
workers and students to receive federal loans while completing
industry-recognized certification programs at local colleges or
universities. Individuals would need to prove the program met local or
state job demands, was at least 250 hours in length, and covered a
minimum of five weeks of instruction to be eligible for benefits such
as Perkins loans or Pell Grants.
This past April, Sen. Brown announced his support for the Know Before
You Owe Private Student Loan Act, which would protect college students
and their families from confusing, private student loan practices. The
bill would specifically require private student loan lenders to make
contracts easier to understand so borrowers don’t end up with
unexpected and overwhelming debt. Sen. Brown is also the author of the
Refinancing Education Funding to Invest (REFI) for the Future Act,
which would help individuals saddled with costly, private student loans
refinance to more affordable options at no cost to taxpayers.
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