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College Cost Reduction Act of 2007

Floor Speech

Date: July 19, 2007
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Unemployed and Low-Income Higher Education

COLLEGE COST REDUCTION ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - July 19, 2007)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, my amendment would change the amount to be authorized and appropriated for the College Access Partnership Grant Program. It would change it from $25 million to $113 million for both fiscal year 2008 and 2009.

What the College Access Partnership Grant Program does is make payments available to States to assist them in carrying out specific activities relating to increasing college access for low-income students in the State.

Currently, about 64 percent of our higher income students who enroll in college get a bachelor's degree, while only 21 percent of our lower income students do so. The College Access Partnership Grant Program is specifically designed to help States put together services and benefits that are most likely to get more of their low-income students to apply for, to be accepted by, and to, ultimately, succeed in college.

The amendment is paid for by the $176 million in excess deficit reduction funds above those required by the budget resolution.

What we specifically provide for is outreach, information on financing options, on promoting financial literacy, on assisting the students to have access to these very important programs.

I urge support of this amendment.


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