*UPDATE – Congress passed the College Cost Reduction and Access Act on September 7, 2007 by a vote of 79-12 in the Senate and 292-97 in the House of Representatives. It is expected that the bill will be signed into law by President Bush in the coming weeks. In addition to cutting student loan interest rates in half, the bill will increase grant aid for low income students and help make student loan debt more manageable by cutting excessive subsidies to student loan companies.

Congress recently passed major higher education reform that will benefit millions of our nation's college students. The legislation will increase need-based grant aid, lower student loan interest rates, limit the percentage of income students spend repaying loans, and expand loan forgiveness programs for critical public service careers.

Private lenders like Sallie Mae lined up to oppose this legislation. They wanted to protect the billions of dollars in federal subsidies that make them some of the most profitable companies in America. Thanks to vocal support from students and others who care about making college affordable, however, Congress acted to help put college in reach of student rather than protect unnecessary hand-outs to lenders.

Please take a moment to send a thank you letter to your Senators and Representatives, and to urge them to continue to support measures to make college affordable.

While the College Cost Reduction and Access Act is a big and important first step towards making a college education accessible and affordable, there is still much more to be done. We have launched the College Affordability Essay Contest to keep these issues in front of decision-makers and the public, and to offer students and borrowers a chance to win a $2,500 payment on their student loans!

Join our campaign to make an affordable college education within reach of everyone:

  • Thank your Representatives and Senators – Congress has recently passed legislation that would increase need-based grants and cut interest rates on student loans. The measure passed despite overwhelming opposition from the student loan industry. Make sure that Congress hears that they made the right decision, and urge them to support future efforts to make college affordable. You can send a thank you letter using the form on the right side of this page.


  • Spread the Word – Improving access to education isn’t easy – you will need some help. Let your friends, coworkers, classmates, and family know about the Campaign for College Affordability. Here are a few easy ways to get others involved:

    • 1. Share on Facebook– Publish the campaign in your mini-feed! You can let all of your friends on Facebook know with one easy click.

    • 2. Use the social bookmarking tools below to get the word out to your network.


  • Get involved in one of the great organizations that are part of this campaign:




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