Senate help committee holds field hearing on affordable College education

Senate help committee holds field hearing on affordable College education: The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a field hearing this week at Ohio State University (OSU) on affordable postsecondary study. The hearing, titled "Fulfilling the Promise of an Affordable College Education," addressed the effect the credit crunch and current market conditions are having on the availability of student loans, the continuing problem of rising tuition and the fast growth of high-cost private student loans. Hearing witnesses included Donald J. Kohne, managing director of Student Lending Works; Natala K. Hart, senior advisor for Economic Access at OSU; Mellissa Miller, former college student; Debra Van Camp, current student at OSU; and Barmak Nassirian, associate executive director, external relations, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said, "It is imperative that students in Ohio and across the nation are able to attend college and get the skills they need to compete. It is equally important that a college education is affordable and does not leave students with crippling debt. Congress very often legislates through the rear-view mirror. We wait until a problem becomes close to unmanageable before we feel compelled to act. This hearing is an attempt to shine the light on a problem before it becomes unmanageable."

http://help.senate.gov/Hearings/2008_04_21/2008_04_21.html