Letter to Betsy DeVos, Secretary of the Department of Education - Harder Urges DeVos To Reconsider Reported Plan to Limit Student Borrowing

Letter

Dear Secretary DeVos,

In January of this year, it was reported that your Department is considering a pilot program to limit student borrowing. The program would allow colleges to selectively impose caps on students' ability to borrow money to pursue an education based on a specific field of study. Under title 20 USC§1094a(b)(3)(B), the Department does not have this authority. Limiting access to education for low-income students is simply unacceptable, and would be devastating to the Central Valley's economy.

Less than 18 percent of my district holds a Bachelor's degree -- and some of the other 82% missed out on educational opportunity not because they didn't want it or because they chose a different path, but because the costs were too high and the barriers too insurmountable. Rather than increasing my constituents' access to education, a policy like the one you proposed selectively restricts much-needed access for families and students in the Central Valley. It would push them out of participating colleges and create extra space for wealthier families from coastal and suburban areas who don't need to take out as many loans.

Education is one of the most important factors in economic mobility. It helps Central Valley students build the skills they need to get a good job and get ahead. Over your career, you have been unwavering in your opposition to government involvement in the American education system. I would urge you to carefully consider the consequences of instituting government control over students' accessibility to education.

Sincerely,

Josh Harder

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