Mark Kantrowitz
Publisher of FinAid.org
“It’s (reducing interest rates) a great sound bite – cutting rates in half,” says Mark Kantrowitz, the publisher of FinAid.org, which gives information about ways to pay for college. “But it’s an incredibly expensive proposal with very little student aid benefit.”
Full Article

Arthur M. Hauptman
Public policy consultant specializing in higher education finance issues
“Unfortunately, each of these well-intentioned efforts won’t do much good for the students who most need the help and possibly could do a fair amount of harm, by using increased funding for aid in largely ineffective ways while letting much greater needs go unmet.”
Full Article

Allan Cruickshanks
Opinion Columnist, The Cavalier Daily
“More importantly for students, this plan would mean decreased services, higher costs and having to deal with constantly changing lenders…

“The second key reason this is an awful plan is that it will hurt the students who rely on these loans to get through college.”
Full Column

Brian M. Riedl
Grover M. Hermann Fellow in Federal Budgetary Affairs in the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation
“Halving student loan interest rates will subsidize college graduates repaying their aid, without significantly improving current and future students’ access to higher education. Importantly, halving student loan interest rates will not address the ever-increasing cost of higher education.”
Full Article

Office of the President
“…the Administration opposes H.R. 5. Reducing student loan interest rates would direct Federal subsidies to college graduates, not to students and their families who are struggling to meet current and future educational expenses…

“The Administration will continue to work with Congress on a comprehensive approach to improve college access for the neediest students, in a fiscally responsible manner.”

As written in the Statement of Administration Policy

Committee on Education and Labor
US House of Representatives
“In reality, the legislation will not benefit even a single college student.”
See Fact Sheet

Leslie Carbone
Adjunct scholar at the Lexington Institute
“So the College Student Relief Act is really the College Graduate Relief Act - the expansion of a regressive wealth-transfer program benefiting a demographic group earning $1 million more per capita than the hardworking American taxpayers without college degrees who will have to pay for it.”
Full Article

Toni Bryant
Financial Aid Administrator, Schreiner University
“I have worked with both FFELP and Direct loan programs and feel that the FFELP services to students and schools far exceed those that can currently be provided by the Department of Education.”
The Partnership for Education Funding

Elizabeth A. Casale
Financial Aid Director, Carnegie Mellon University
“I am convinced by both my personal experience with the FFELP and Direct Loan programs and my professional experience that FFELP is better. It’s better for taxpayers. It’s better for borrowers. It’s better for schools.”
The Partnership for Education Funding

Karen M. Flynn
Director of Financial Aid, University of New Haven
“I believe that aid professionals are able to offer better services and guidance through the FFELP community.”
The Partnership for Education Funding

Kenn Posey
Director of Student Aid and Scholarships, Louisiana State University at Alexandria
“Through private enterprise, the ability to apply for and receive federal loan funds has been made easier than at any other time in history.”
The Partnership for Education Funding