Sen Warner Higher Education Proposals

Sen. Warner Higher Education Proposals Virginia's State Council of Higher Education finds more than half of Virginia's college students will graduate with some student debt, and the average student loan debt in Virginia tops $25,000 per graduate. Americans now owe more than $1.3 trillion in student loan debt, making them the second-biggest source of personal debt in the U.S. after mortgages. Every Virginian should have access to the quality education and training needed to succeed in our global economy, without the burden of crippling student debt. But despite historic increases in federal student aid, tuition and fees have skyrocketed over the past decade, putting college opportunity at risk for many Americans. Having paid for his own undergraduate education with student loans, Senator Warner knows first-hand the financial challenges facing those who seek higher education. He has proposed a number of bills to make college more affordable and to ease the burden of student debt.

College Affordability:  Go to High School, Go to College Act. Will increase college access for low-income students by allowing them to earn tuition-free college credits in high school through the Pell Grant program.

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Student Right to Know Before You Go Act. Will provide college-bound students powerful new tools for

comparing colleges and universities on measures such as total cost, likelihood of graduating, and potential earnings by program.

 K-12½ Act. Will provide a free semester of community college for qualified high school students enrolled in a program of study culminating in a recognized postsecondary credential, such as an apprenticeship or postsecondary certificate.

 Federal Perkins Loan Extension. Senator Warner strongly supported legislation to temporarily extend the Federal Perkins Loan Program, a critical lifeline for 7,800 low- and moderate- income college students in Virginia, for two years while Congress works on a comprehensive overhaul of federal student loan programs. The extension was signed into law by the President on December 18, 2015.

Student Debt:  Dynamic Repayment Act. Will simplify and consolidate the current array of federal student loan repayment options to make it easier for students to enroll in one streamlined, federal, income-based repayment program that protects graduates from default during periods of unemployment or low earnings.

 Employer Participation in Repayment Act. Will allow employers to help qualified employees repay student loans by contributing up to $5,500 pre-tax to their employees’ federal or private student loans.

 Pathways to Prosperity Act. Will strengthen career readiness by improving the quality of technical education.