Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Education
Bipartisan Group of Senators Reach Deal to Lower Rates for All Students
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Richard Burr (R-NC), Angus King (I-ME), Tom Coburn (R-OK), Tom Carper (D-DE), Tom Harkin (D-IA), and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) introduced a bipartisan compromise to lower interest rates for 100% of borrowers who have taken out, or will take out, a new federal student loan after July 1, 2013. "This agreement will ensure students loan rates will fall below the 6.8 percent rate that kicked in o… Continue Reading
06.12.13
Durbin Praises Northern Illinois University at Senate Hearing Examining For-Profit Colleges & DOD Education Programs
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - While chairing a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) praised the work that Northern Illinois University has done to make serving veterans and servicemembers a priority. During an April 3, 2013 visit to Northern Illinois University, Durbin sat down with several student veterans and program administrators to discuss their experience and hear how the Military Student Services office has improved their life on campus… Continue Reading
05.15.13
Durbin, Senators Introduce Fully Paid for Legislation to Prevent Student Loan Rate Hike
[WASHINGTON, DC] - In an effort to protect taxpayers and shield college students from a sharp increase in federal Stafford loan interest rates, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and eight other Senators in introducing a fully paid for bill to ensure student loan interest rates for more than 7 million undergraduate st… Continue Reading
05.03.13
Durbin, Kirk, Schneider Visit Great Lakes Naval Station LEARN Charter School
[NORTH CHICAGO] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited Great Lakes Naval Station with Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) and U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL-10) to discuss the future of the station with Base Commander CAPT Randy Lynch and other leaders. Earlier this year Durbin was named the chairman of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, which oversees funding for the military and intelligence community, the nation's security requirements and the daily needs of over two mil… Continue Reading
05.01.13
Durbin, Enyart to Students and Parents: Beware Dramatic Differences Between Student Loan Options
[GRANITE CITY, IL.] - College-bound high school seniors who must decide today which school they will attend in the fall should take care to exhaust every federal financial aid option available to them before turning to private student loans, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today while meeting with students and their parents at Granite City High School. Noting that two-thirds of student loan borrowers were not aware of the difference between federal students loans and risky, higher-interest… Continue Reading
03.01.13
Durbin: Sequester Poses Imminent Threat to Bio-Medical Research in Illinois
[CHICAGO, IL] - Illinois' leading research universities and hospitals stand to lose nearly $40 million in funding from the National Institute of Health (NIH) as a result of the sequestration budget cuts that take hold today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said at a news conference at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Illinois received a total of $746 million in NIH funding last year. "Sequestration was meant as a budget threat, not a budget strategy, and the cuts to NIH … Continue Reading
01.23.13
As Student Loan Debt Surpasses $1 Trillion, Senators Introduce Legislation to Address Crisis
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and U.S. Senator Al Franken (D-MN) in reintroducing two pieces of legislation - the Fairness for Struggling Students Act of 2013 and the Know Before You Owe Act of 2013 - to restore transparency, fairness and common sense to the student loan process. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the student loan debt among… Continue Reading
11.27.12
Durbin to Accreditor: Audit Baseless Job Placement Rates of For-Profit College Company EDMC
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to audit all job placement rates reported by Education Management Corporation (EDMC), a for-profit college company that was recently featured in an ABC news report. The report highlighted a lawsuit against EDMC by a former employee which raises serious concerns about the validity of EDMC's reported job placement rates. "While I appreciate the Southern Association of Colleges… Continue Reading
09.21.12
Senators to FTC: Investigate Companies That Use Deceptive Online Marketing to Recruit for For-Profit Colleges
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today asked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate third-party online marketing companies, so called "lead generators," that recruit for for-profit colleges often using deceptive practices. The Senators also urged the FTC to do more to protect consumers from deceptive lead generators by creating meaningful guidelines and strengthening their oversight. "Betwee… Continue Reading
09.18.12
Durbin Statement on Announcement That Chicago Public Schools Will Resume Classes on Wednesday
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today issued the following statement after learning that the Chicago Teachers Union voted to end the strike and resume classes at Chicago Public Schools tomorrow morning. "I am glad that both sides have found a path forward that will put 350,000 students back in the classroom tomorrow morning," said Durbin.… Continue Reading
09.10.12
Durbin Statement on Chicago Public Schools Teachers Strike
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today commented on the decision by the Chicago teachers union to go on strike today, after negotiations over a new contract stalled. "While most kids in the country were heading off to school this morning, 400,000 students in Chicago stayed home because there is no agreement on a new contract," said Durbin. "Instead of getting an education, these kids are being put in the middle of a fight between adults. I've reached out to Chicago Teac… Continue Reading
08.20.12
Durbin to Students and Parents: Beware Dramatic Differences Between Student Loan Options
[CHICAGO] - Students preparing to begin college this month should take care to exhaust every federal financial aid option available to them before turning to private student loans, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today while calling for passage of the Know Before You Owe Act of 2012, a bill he introduced earlier this year which would ensure students understand the full range of their available loan options before borrowing. Durbin noted that two-thirds of student loan borrowers were not aw… Continue Reading
07.18.12
Durbin Invites Members of Illinois Job Training Program to Address Senators in Washington, DC
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Partners in Harper College's new Advanced Manufacturing Training Program were invited by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) to speak today at a meeting of the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee about their innovative job training and certification program. Developed in close partnership with regional manufacturers, Harper's program helps workers develop the skills they need to find employment in their communities and fill critical job openings at growing business… Continue Reading
07.13.12
Senators Call for Plan to End Unreasonable Fees and Practices Associated with Some Campus Debit Card Programs
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) called on institutions of higher education to develop a plan to put an end to a number of unreasonable fees and practices associated with campus debit and prepaid card programs that are being increasingly pushed by financial institutions. According to a report released in June from the U.S. Publi… Continue Reading
06.25.12
Durbin Discusses Looming Deadlines for Transportation and Student Loan Bills, Applauds Senate Passage of Bipartisan Farm Bill
[SPRINGFIELD, IL] - While calling attention to end-of-the-week-deadlines for transportation and student loan interest rate legislation, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today that this week's Senate passage of the bipartisan Farm Bill demonstrates that Congress can still take effective action in the midst of an election year. Farm Bill "The Senate's bipartisan farm bill represents a major step towards putting our agriculture policy on the right track, while also saving more than $23 … Continue Reading
06.12.12
Durbin, Kirk Praise the Establishment of a Public Charter School in North Chicago
[NORTH CHICAGO] - Today, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) announced their support for the establishment of the LEARN Public Charter School in North Chicago on the edge of Great Lakes Naval Station. The Senators congratulated the Navy, the LEARN Charter School Network, the Illinois State Board of Education and the community of North Chicago for their efforts in working together to establish the elementary charter school, which is scheduled to open on September 4, 2012 in Nor… Continue Reading
06.07.12
Durbin, Miller Urge Examination of Student Debit Card Practices
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), the Assistant Senate Majority Leader, and U.S. Representative George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, today sent letters to Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Richard Cordray and Department of Education Inspector General Kathleen Tighe, expressing concern over the adverse financial impact debit card agreements between banks and institut… Continue Reading
05.30.12
Durbin Pledges to Work to End Campus Debit Card Fees that Send Taxpayer Funds Directly to Banks
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the consumer group U.S. PIRG published a report describing troubling aspects of partnerships that colleges have formed with financial institutions to provide students with federal student aid disbursements via debit cards that carry significant fees. The report also discussed efforts by colleges and financial institutions to provide students with campus checking accounts and campus identification c… Continue Reading
04.27.12
Durbin Calls on CFPB to Warn All Students About For-Profit College Industry Bad Actors
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today commended President Obama's decision to sign an Executive Order that will help ensure that our veterans and servicemembers have the information they need to make informed decisions about their education and are protected from aggressive and deceptive marketing by the for-profit college industry. Durbin also called on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to issue a warning to students about the bad actors in the for-profit coll… Continue Reading
04.25.12
Durbin: Congress Must Take Action to Prevent Interest Rates on Federal Student Loans from Doubling
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - As President Barack Obama travels to college campuses across the country speaking about the growing student loan debt crisis, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor today to urge Congress to pass legislation preventing student interest rates from doubling for more than 7.4 million students on July 1st, 2012. Durbin has co-sponsored the Stop the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act of 2012, introduced today, which would maintain the current interest rates of… Continue Reading