Politicking and Student Aid

Before delving into my rant, I'd like to take a moment to recognize the passing of an important woman - Mrs. Erma Byrd. Senator Robert Byrd has often recognized her as his "diamond" and rock behind his success. Although she shyed away from public eye, her dedication to West Virginia and her husband's endeavors never waivered. I remember very vividly being at Martin's Grocery store in my hometown when I was around 13 and seeing Senator and Mrs. Byrd shopping at our local store. They would stop and shake hands with other shoppers. West Virginia has lost a dear woman.

For my first political rant in a couple weeks, I'd like to focus on student aid (being as I am in the process of paying back my mountains of debt to the federal government). Anyone that has reared a child and sent him/her off to college understands the tragedy of financial aid. As with most things in life, the middle-class is left behind in the realm of financial aid. My two hard-working, ambitious parents placed me in the sphere of "loan only" financial aid. If they would've been less ambitious and hard-working, I would've qualified for grants. Nonetheless, that's over and done with. The problem now facing America's youth is the government's hands in the dishing out of financial aid. Most people are unaware that two months ago, Congress passed a bill cutting $13 billion of federal student loan aid - leaving many students in the dark. The GOP said they did it for tax cuts. That's a wonderful idea - let's dampen the future of millions of young Americans to save the upper 1% more money on their taxes. While many GOP leaders struggled to keep this out of the news, hundreds of financial aid offices at colleges and universities across the country took to a grass-roots type fight. They alerted all of their students of these cuts. The result was outrage at the cuts in student aid. In response to this, Congress is working a bill to calm the masses =- a bill that has taken three years to reach the House floor. House bill 221-199 was recently approved on GOP party-line which makes it easier to apply for finanical aid and places pressure on colleges/universities which consistently raise their tuition. Look, it can't be much easier to apply for aid - simply fill out the FAFSA! Thanks GOP! How about helping the students by cutting interest rates on student loans??? Dems asked for this and were denied and therefore voted against the bill. The federal student loan interest rates are scheduled to increase at the beginning of July. Fat load of good the GOP House did us students and future students.