Senate Committee Passes Labor, HHS Funding Measure Late last week the Senate Appropriations Committee passed its funding proposal for Fiscal Year 2014 by a party-line vote of 16-14. The bill funds all discretionary programs in the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Departments as well as a number of other critical domestic programs. However, the Senate Committee did not provide any new funding for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC). Indeed the bill is almost silent on … [Read more...]
Student Loan Update
Senators Reach a Tentative Deal to Lower Interest Rates Low Today a bi-partisan group of Senators reached a deal that would lower the interest rates on college loans, change how the loan rate is determined, and introduce a cap on further increases. On July 1st the interest rate on subsidized Stafford loans doubled from 3.4% to 6.8%, months after unsubsidized Stafford loans had also risen to 6.8% (see our previous update to learn more about the different types of loans). The agreement, … [Read more...]
College Loans and Congress: Why you should care
On July 1st, the interest rate on subsidized Stafford loans doubled, from 3.4% to 6.8%. Without quick corrective action from Congress, this will significantly raise the interest rate on loans for as many as five million college students. But what are Stafford Loans? And why should clinicians care? What are Stafford Loans? Stafford loans are a critical part of the financial aid offered by the federal government to college students. There are two kinds of Stafford loans: Subsidized … [Read more...]
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