Sablan supports student aid bill in floor debate

Washington, D.C. — The U.S. House of Representatives today began debate on a bill that puts $4 million into student aid in the Northern Mariana Islands, increasing Pell Grant awards for individual students to as much as $5,500 next year, increasing the number of students eligible for Pell Grants, and helping lower interest rates on student tuition loans. In addition, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, H.R. 3221, sends more money to community colleges, such as the Northern Marianas College. $750,000 per year for 5 years will go to the NMI for the College Access Grant Program, encouraging more students to attend and complete college. And NMC will receive funds to help finance college facilities. Early childhood education is also a focus of the bill. $1 billion will be awarded annually nationwide on a competitive basis to build an effective early childhood workforce.

Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, an original co-sponsor of the bill, made the following statement during today’s debate:

M. Speaker,
 
I rise today in support of H.R. 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act.  I wish to thank Chairman Miller for his leadership on this bill, and express my thanks to the staff as well.
 
M. Speaker, the financial resources of local governments and college and university scholarship funds are quickly dwindling.  I am encouraged that this congress is working to ensure access to student grants and loans at a time when many families, including those in my district in the Northern Mariana Islands, are struggling to make ends meet.  The changes made by H.R. 3221 will mean that even more students will get the opportunity to pursue higher education.
 
This legislation will raise the annual maximum Pell grant to unprecedented levels and ensure that these grants will continue to increase with the cost of tuition.  It will open up an addition $4 million for Pell grants in the Northern Marianas alone.  It will make investments in financial aid that will benefit students from every district, no matter where they go to college.  Increased funding to minority-serving institutions, including those with large populations of Pacific Islanders, will ensure that our students from the Northern Marianas are cared for and supported, both socially and academically, when they are so far away from their home. 
 
Three quarters of a million dollars will be available in the Northern Marianas for programs that encourage students to stay in school and make sure they succeed.  And money will also be dedicated to community colleges, like Northern Marianas College, to help them finance new projects and cover existing needs. 
 
Higher education is truly the investment of a lifetime – it creates opportunities and opens doors that will benefit our students and families far into the future.  I applaud this legislation and I yield back the balance of my time.