Israel and Meng Rally with Students on College Affordability

Press Release

Today, Rep. Steve Israel joined with democratic candidate for Congress, Assemblywoman Grace Meng, and The Student Association at Queens College for a rally on college affordability. Student loan debt is threatening to be the next big financial crisis, with borrowers currently holding $1 trillion in student loan debt -- more than all credit card debt in the U.S., and second to only mortgages. Rep Israel and Assemblywoman Meng were joined by members of the student government, some carrying signs saying "My Future, My Vote" and "Subsidize Students, Not Big Oil."

"This election is about priorities. The Tea Party has repeatedly put special interests ahead of students. The Ryan Budget they support slashes more than $15 billion in funding from the Pell Grant program -- cutting out almost 19,000 NY students," Rep Israel said. "I have been working hard to ensure that everyone has access to an affordable college education -- that's why I introduced common sense legislation that would save students and their families thousands of dollars. I'm proud to stand with Assemblywoman Meng and Queens College students who believe it's time to start subsidizing students instead of oil companies."

As a central issue of his campaign for the middle class, Rep Israel released a commercial earlier this month, focusing on college affordability, featuring the Szczesny family of Plainview, New York. Karen Szczesny, who lost her husband in 2011, details her family's efforts to put her sons through college. All three boys attended and graduated from St. John's, but have accumulated almost $320,000 in education debt. The commercial also highlights the Student Loan Benefits Act of 2012, authored by Israel, which would give working graduates the option to pay back student loans pre-tax, saving them and their employers thousands of dollars.

Assemblywoman Meng said, "We are very much at a crossroads when it comes to college affordability: we can help our young adults start their professional lives the right way, or we can abandon them and dissuade those even younger from seeking higher education. We must choose to help them. This issue is so fundamental to our well being as a country and as a people, and that's why it will be one of my very top priorities in Congress."

Between 2000 and 2007, an estimated 60 percent of bachelor's degree recipients borrowed to fund their education. A report from the Project on Student Debt at The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) found that students who borrow for college and earned bachelor's degrees in 2011 graduated with an average of $26,600 in student loan debt, up from $25,250 in 2010.

Meng and Israel are running to represent Queens in New York's 6th and 3rd Congressional districts respectively. They each inherited sections of what used to be Gary Ackerman's District (NY05) during the redistricting process.

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