House Reconciliation Bill Threatens Students’ Access to College and Pathways to Success Beyond Graduation

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, April 29, the House Education and Workforce Committee is set to mark up the committee’s directives as part of the current budget reconciliation process.  

The following statement is in response to the bill text put forward by the committee and can be attributed to Sameer Gadkaree, President & CEO of The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS): 

“The committee’s current proposal would severely restrict college access by slashing financial aid programs, eliminating basic consumer protections, and making it harder to repay student loan debt.  

“In addition to being far outside of the scope of the budget reconciliation process, this misguided approach will only make it more difficult for students to enroll in college, access funding to stay enrolled and graduate, and manage loan repayments. No student seeking higher education should face barriers that limit their potential both prior to starting college and in the decades that follow graduation. 

“Specifically, restricting access to Pell Grants, eliminating interest subsidies, and weakening protections against misrepresentation or low-quality programming create an alarming threat to students and the future of our economy. 

“Rather than hurting tens of millions of students to fund tax cuts for the wealthy few, American families need Congress to make college more affordable and accessible.”