Durbin Commends House Approval of Higher Education Act Reauthorization

Press Release

Durbin Commends House Approval of Higher Education Act Reauthorization

The House has approved legislation that includes several initiatives authored by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) that would help make college and graduate school more affordable for students. Key provisions from four of Durbin's bills:

* The Student Loan Sunshine Act
* The College Textbook Affordability Act
* The Campus Law Enforcement Emergency Response Act
* The John R. Justice Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act

--were included in the Higher Education Act reauthorization bill that was approved by the House today and will now go to Conference.

Durbin's Student Loan Sunshine Act bill as included in the House version would:

* Ban lenders from offering gifts worth more than a nominal amount to college financial aid office employees, including travel, lodging, entertainment, and in-kind services that lenders provide to college financial aid offices;
* Require full disclosure of the reasons why an institution of higher education has selected a lender for its "preferred lender" list;
* Prohibit special arrangements that lenders and institutions of higher education have to offer loan products at the institution.

"We need to shine a bright light on the incentive-based relationships that exist between some universities and lenders," said Durbin. "This legislation takes an important step in requiring stricter standards for lenders and universities. We must make sure college students don't fall victim to unprincipled lenders."

The College Textbook Affordability Act as included in the House version would:

* Help make textbook costs more manageable by providing students with advance information on textbook prices in course schedules and ensuring faculty have full textbook pricing information when making purchasing decisions;
* Require publishers to include information about textbook price, history of revisions, and lower-priced alternatives when marketing a book to faculty;
* Require publishers who bundle course material to offer the textbooks and supplemental material in unbundled versions.

"The average college student spends nearly $900 on textbooks every year and the cost of textbooks is climbing at four times the rate of inflation," said Durbin. "We know these books cost significantly less for students overseas. What we don't know is why publishers and their cooperating faculty are penalizing American students."

Durbin's Campus Law Enforcement Emergency Response Act as included in the House version would:

* Strengthen the safety and security of college and university campuses by requiring that each school develop and test emergency response procedures and campus notification systems on at least an annual basis;
* Enable the Secretary of Education and the Attorney General to combine their knowledge and resources in order to advise colleges and universities on model emergency response procedures and to disseminate best practices;
* Authorize the Department of Education to create a competitive grant program for colleges and universities to develop and improve their emergency response procedures and programs.

"After the terrible tragedy at Virginia Tech, it was clear that we need to address the vulnerability of students in college," said Durbin. "The language added to this bill will better protect college students, faculty, and campus visitors from threats to their security."

Durbin's John R. Justice Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act as included in the House version would:

* Establish a student loan repayment program for full-time State and local prosecutors and State, local and Federal public defenders who agree to serve for a minimum of three years;
* Allow eligible attorneys to receive student loan debt repayments of up to $10,000 per year, with a maximum aggregate over time of $60,000.

"Today prosecutor and public defender offices are having serious difficulty hiring and retaining good lawyers because students are leaving law school with mortgage-sized student loan debts," said Durbin. "When prosecutor and public defender offices cannot attract new lawyers or keep experienced ones, their ability to protect the public is compromised. The federal government has a responsibility to help make public service law an affordable option for talented, experienced lawyers who want to work in the criminal justice system."

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