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Students, officials decry federal cuts in student aid

Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2005

U.S. Reps. Steny H. Hoyer (D-5th-Md.) of Mechanicsville and Ben Cardin (D-3th-Md.) of Baltimore joined student leaders and higher education advocates at the University of Maryland to discuss college affordability.

Tuition and fees at four-year public colleges have risen 46 percent since 2001, according to the College Board.

Congress is poised to pass budget cuts of billions of dollars from student aid programs, said Tim Schlittner, an aide to Hoyer. Hoyer decried the cuts as detrimental to students and families, he said.

“If the House goes forward with the current plans to reconcile our nation's debt in this manner, it will result in the single largest student aid cut in history,“ Hoyer said in a statement. “The typical student will pay $5,800 more for college loans - keep in mind, the typical student is already $17,500 in debt.“

The changes proposed would amount to $8.7 billion in cuts by charging student borrowers higher fees, raising student loan interest rate caps and raising rates on consolidation loans, Schlittner said.

“These are misplaced priorities,“ Hoyer said. “It is simply immoral to balance the budget on the backs of our nation's students and their families.“

Representatives from the Maryland Public Interest Research Group, the U.S. Student Association, and the University of Maryland's Student Government Association attended the forum and voiced their opposition to the cuts Tuesday.