Durbin Announces Senate Approval of Higher Education Act Reauthorization

Press Release

Durbin Announces Senate Approval of Higher Education Act Reauthorization

The Senate has approved legislation by a vote of 83-8 that includes several initiatives authored by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) that would help make college and graduate school safer and more affordable for students. Key provisions from the following four Durbin bills were included in today's Senate passed Higher Education Act Reauthorization: The Student Loan Sunshine Act; The College Textbook Affordability Act; The Campus Law Enforcement Emergency Response Act; and The John R. Justice Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act. The legislation was approved by the House earlier today and will now be sent to the President for his signature.

Durbin's Student Loan Sunshine Act as included in today's bill 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.

"I introduced this legislation with my colleague, Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) amid reports of aggressive and highly questionable tactics used by private lenders and lenders who offer gifts to colleges as a way to secure loan business. This exploitation has continued," said Durbin. "It is time to put a stop to it by requiring stricter standards for lenders and universities. Today's legislation will help ensure that college students don't fall victim to unprincipled lenders."

Durbin's College Textbook Affordability Act as included in today's bill 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. "Publishers continue to use new editions and bundled material to drive up costs for students who are already having trouble paying for school. It is time to give them the information and options they need to make educated decisions about managing their finances in school."

"Textbook prices can be the tipping point between going to college and dropping out because of cost," said Nicole Allen, the Textbooks Advocate for the Student PIRGs. "This bill takes critical steps to rein in skyrocketing prices by limiting costly publisher practices and making the textbooks market fairer to students."

Durbin's Campus Law Enforcement Emergency Response Act as included in today's bill 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;

* Combine the resources of the Departments of Education, Justice and Homeland Security to provide colleges and universities with emergency response expertise, guidance and best practices;

* Create a grant program to help colleges and universities develop and improve their emergency response procedures and notification systems.

"After the terrible tragedies at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University, it has become clear that we need to address the vulnerability of students in college," said Durbin. "Today's bill will strengthen the safety and security of college and university campuses to better protect America's students, faculty, and campus visitors."

"In the midst of a life threatening emergency on campus, students and employees need information immediately so that they can protect themselves," said Daniel Carter, Senior Vice President for Security On Campus, Inc. "This legislation will require colleges to have the means in place to immediately warn their campus communities about life threatening emergencies. We appreciate Senator Durbin's leadership to help make sure that emergency warning provisions were included in this legislation, and that a grant program will be established to help colleges improve their warning and security infrastructure."

Durbin's John R. Justice Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act as included in today's bill would:

* Address the nationwide shortage of qualified prosecutors and public defenders by establishing a student loan repayment program for state and local prosecutors and public defenders who agree to serve for a minimum of three years;

* Enable 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's legislation will go a long way toward helping prosecutor and public defender offices hire and retain good lawyers," said Durbin. "With starting salaries in a prosecutor's or public defender's office 3 to 4 times smaller than starting salaries in private law firms, mortgage-size student loan debt is a barrier to public service. When the public sector can no longer attract new professionals or keep experienced ones the federal government has a responsibility to step in. This legislation will help make public service law an affordable option for talented, experienced lawyers who want to work in the criminal justice system."

The John R. Justice Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act is supported by the National District Attorneys Association, the National Association of Prosecutor Coordinators, the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the American Council of Chief Defenders, the National Juvenile Defender Center, the American Bar Association, the Conference of Chief Judges, and the American Law Deans Association.

"Student loan repayment for prosecutors will provide an incentive for qualified attorneys to join prosecutors' offices," said Joseph Cassilly, President, National District Attorneys Association. "The recruitment of qualified attorneys and the retention of experienced and trained prosecutors will ensure that crime victims receive the highest caliber of representation."

"We thank Senator Durbin for ensuring that the hardworking defense lawyers who protect due process in our nation's courtrooms are not forced into higher paying jobs due to school loans," said Carmen Hernandez, President of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. "The public will benefit tremendously from this bill, which will decrease turnover in prosecutors' and public defenders' offices and improve the handling of criminal cases."

Source