Advancing Educational Freedom

By Rep. John Kline (R-MN) Last summer, debate about student loans reached a fever pitch thanks to a scheduled increase in the interest rate for subsidized Stafford loans made to undergraduate students. The president began touring college campuses, calling on Congress to prevent the increase that his own party set in motion in 2007. As I said at the time, no one wanted to see interest rates double... Read more »

House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s student loan event at the White House: It’s time for the president to stop politicizing the student loan issue. The president and House Republicans agree on the need for a long-term, market-based plan that will take politicians out of the business of arbitrarily se... Read more »

President Obama's 2014 budget calls on Congress to prevent a doubling of interest rates on student loans and make the rates "more market-based." Last week House Republicans and four Democrats voted to prevent the rates from doubling and make the rates more market-based. Naturally, Mr. Obama is sitting down with the leaders of both parties in a good-faith effort to iron out their remaining differe... Read more »

Tomorrow President Obama will hold an event at the White House to “call on Congress to prevent student loan interest rates from doubling on July 1st.” But wait a minute – the House has already taken action, approving legislation that mirrors the president’s own proposal to shift interest rates to a long-term, market-based solution. That’s right – the Smarter Solutions for Students Act is based on ... Read more »

The U.S. House of Representatives today approved the Smarter Solutions for Students Act (H.R. 1911), legislation that will prevent subsidized Stafford loans from doubling on July 1st. Introduced by Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) and Higher Education and Workforce Training Subcommittee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC), H.R. 1911 reflects President Obama’s request fo... Read more »

The House is currently considering the Smarter Solutions for Students Act (H.R. 1911), legislation that will move all federal student loans (except Perkins Loans) to a market-based rate. Moments ago, House Education and Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) urged his colleagues to support this responsible proposal: We have an opportunity today to get politicians out of the business of set... Read more »

The U.S. House of Representatives recently approved the Improving Postsecondary Education Data for Students Act (H.R. 1949). Sponsored by Rep. Luke Messer (R-IN), the legislation will help strengthen higher education transparency and ensure students and families have access to the data they need to choose the right college. During debate on the House floor, Rep. Messer highlighted the need to impr... Read more »

Bipartisan compromise is tough to find in Washington right now — but when there is opportunity for agreement, we owe it to the American people to take action. In the coming weeks, millions of student-loan borrowers could see their interest rates double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent. We’re in this predicament because politicians put themselves in charge of setting interest rates, guaranteeing un... Read more »

We’re here today to address a crisis of Washington’s own making. Several years ago, Congress decided politicians – not the free market – were better equipped to set student loan interest rates. Politicians set a fixed rate of 6.8 percent for all loans, and then decided to advance legislation based on a campaign promise that would temporarily phase this rate for subsidized Stafford loans down to 3.... Read more »

Once again Washington is working to prevent subsidized Stafford Loan interest rates from doubling. The House is expected to vote tomorrow on the Smarter Solutions for Student Act, legislation that provides a permanent solution on behalf of students and taxpayers. Just yesterday Education Secretary Arne Duncan assured Congress that the Obama administration wants a long-term solution. However, a new... Read more »