I’ve seen some studies that estimate up to 80% of college students need to take at least 1 remedial course in college. What that tells me is the federal mandate to improve secondary education standards has failed. No child left behind? I think taxpayers would argue with that! So after your secondary education prepares you just enough to pass a test, you are thrown into college without the skills to begin your studies. You’ll have to pay to take classes the public education system should have already taught you.

The Feds have done a bang-up job fixing that problem so why are we so willing to take their suggestions towards post-secondary education? But they want to help students pay for college! You mean pay for the classes the failing public education system has set them up to take?

You might see a pattern. Congress starts stepping all over state rights and reality doesn’t work out they way they thought it would. Congress ties the hands of the people in the best position to help citizens and then they are shocked when things get worse. Coming soon – Congress tells students who they can borrow from to pay for college. I wonder if how that’s going to turn out!

I took a statistics course where the professor stated—at least once each a class—that with greater diversity comes greater opportunity for error. That’s a truism when it comes to theoretical statistics, but it doesn’t equate to living, breathing human beings. It also doesn’t equate to macroeconomics. With the STAR Act, Congress is trying to say the breadth of options for students today is too wide. Students need to be restricted in their choices to keep them from making errors. If they eliminate the FFELP students will only have one real option. In theory that means 100% of students will make the correct decision. In reality that means 100% of students will be forced into making a bad financial decision. I wish I had this example to debate my prof with back then!

Congress should take some remedial courses of their own. I’d like to recommend “Constitutional Rights of States”, “Beginning Budgeting”, and “Ethics in Governance”. And don’t worry, Congressman. It isn’t your fault you made it this far without knowing the things you need to know to succeed. It’s not like you’re being set up for failure! Besides, I’m sure your student financial aid package will pay for it.

We are opposed to the proposed student loan legislation and middle-class families should be too! The government is taking money out of YOUR POCKET.

It only takes one minute to make a difference: call your senators, send your senators an e-mail, download a letter to fax to your senators, become part of our petition and help your friends find out the truth about the proposed student loan legislation.