Three Part Strategy to Meet the Challenges
of a 21st Century Global Economy:
(1) Giving high schools graduates the opportunity to attain a
college degree and better compete in the global economy by:
Securing resources for the Higher Education Student Aid Alliance
proposal of a $1.4 billion increase in Pell Grant funding to pay
for a $4,500 maximum grant today - not in five years. (Note: Seven
Republican Senators have called for an Immediate $4,500 Pell Grant.)
Establishing as the Sense of the Senate that college tuition
tax deductibility should be increased from $4,000 to $8,000 per
year.
Securing resources for the Higher Education Student Aid Alliance
proposal of a $2 billion in Appropriations Committee discretionary
authority to restore Bush budget eliminations of TRIO, GEAR UP,
LEAP, Perkins loans, and provide for cost of college increases
in work-study, graduate education, and SEOG scholarships.
(2) Ensuring America is competitive in the global economy by maintaining
strength in math, science, and technology by committing to the resources
needed to:
Provide new math, science, and special education teachers in
high need schools a guarantee of up to $23,000 in student loan
forgiveness for four years of teaching.
Estimated impact: 57,000 new math, science, and special education
teachers per year to get full federal student loan forgiveness.
(3) Ensuring that all Americans have the opportunity to work by
restoring Bush budget cuts to job training/adult literacy ($975
million) and vocational education ($1.327 billion).
Total Cost: Approximately $6 billion in increased discretionary
spending and an additional $6 billion in increased deficit reduction
paid for by closing $12 billion in corporate tax loopholes already
voted to be closed by the United States Senate as part of the FSC-ETI
bill, but not enacted as per that legislation's conference report.
Message: It's more important to help families pay
for college and help all Americans be equipped for the jobs in the
global economy than it is to maintain corporate tax loopholes. |
