The House Committee on Education and Labor held a hearing on “The Cost of College: Student Centered Reforms to Bring Higher Education Within Reach”. Discussions centered around barriers to postsecondary education for all students, but particularly low-income and students of color. There was bipartisan agreement that students need to learn financial literacy, so they can understand that taking out the maximum loan amount is not always necessary and also understand the process for repayment. There was also bipartisan support to expand awareness and increase resources for technical education and community colleges along with expanding Pell to short-term programs. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness faced disagreement with Republicans questioning the negative incentives to borrow more while Democrats believe eliminating PSLF will reduce the diversity of the industries eligible for PSLF.
Read ASAHP’s full memo here.