Youth Screwed by Senate on Student Loans AGAIN!

UpdateII: The Washington Post is now reporting that the US Senate may add the student loan overhaul in as a part of the health care bill that they hope to pass through reconciliation.

"The move would create a potential double victory for President Obama, who has championed both causes as among domestic priorities. And Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) said Thursday, "There was a stronger feeling for including" the education proposal. Some senators disagreed with the strategy, Durbin said, adding that a final decision has yet to be reached."

UPDATEI: All of the youth groups are going all hands on deck with this. Here's how you can help:
Step 1: Call 1-888-254-5087
Step 2: Ask for your senators
Step 3: Use the script:

"Hi, my name is____. I a am calling today to urge Senator_______ to support students by putting Student Aid Reform in the Budget Reconciliation process. If student aid reform is not included, the maximum Pell Grant will be cut by thousands of dollars. 500,000 students will lose their Pell grants and 8,000,000 students will see their awards cut by 60%. This is UNACCEPTABLE.

Will Senator______ support students by including student aid reform in the budget reconciliation process?

Thank you for supporting students, have a good day.

Proposed Tweet: URGENT: Call 1-888-254-5087 to ask your Senators to support #SAFRA in the reconciliation bill. They ARE deciding today!! CALL NOW!

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Forgive my cynicism but... it figures. Once again the Sallie Mae lobby has bought their way into the overhaul in student lending that the President promised would happen in this Congress.

From the New York Times

"But Democrats in the Senate, where the private student lending industry has strong allies, predicted on Wednesday night that the education bill would not be part of an expedited budget measure containing the final revisions to the health care legislation. Some Democrats said that such a move would stall the student loan changes at a minimum for several months, and perhaps kill the overhaul altogether.

Mr. Obama’s plan would end a program in which the government pays private, for-profit student lending companies to make risk-free loans using taxpayer money. Instead, the proposed overhaul would broaden the government’s existing direct-lending program, saving billions of dollars that the president had proposed using to expand Pell grant scholarships for low-income students.

But the education bill is strongly opposed by some Senate Democrats, particularly those in states where for-profit student lenders are major employers. In a letter to the majority leader, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, six Democrats said they disliked the president’s proposal.

"We write to make you aware of our concern with provisions of contemplated student lending reform that could put jobs at risk," the senators wrote. "Increase our nation’s commitment to higher education funding is a priority, but we must proceed toward this objective in a thoughtful manner that considers potential alternative legislative proposals, while still delivering an equivalent amount of savings over the next ten years."

Oh happy day. Ed and Labor Chairman George Miller isn't giving up his strong support on behalf of students and is about to hold a press conference in a few minutes. Once the video is available and there is further info I'll post it.

From the release:

" At 11:45 am eastern today, U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the Education and Labor Committee, and other House leaders will hold a press conference on the urgent need to include student loan reform as part of the reconciliation bill.

The student aid bill would make historic investments in our economic future by increasing Pell Grants, making college more affordable and helping more students graduate – and all at no cost to taxpayers."