Spring Break
Courtney endorses economic stimulus bill
Emily Volz
Issue date: 2/6/09 Section: News
The House of Representatives passed an $819 billion economic stimulus package on Jan. 28 that is currently being debated in the Senate.
The bill passed through the House on a 244-188 vote that was divided primarily along party lines; all but 11 House Democrats voted for the bill, whereas no House Republicans voted for the bill.
Joe Courtney, Congressman for Connecticut's 2nd congressional district, was among the House Democrats who voted for the bill.
As a member of the Education and Labor Committee, Courtney wants to see the federal government increase funding for higher education. The stimulus package, called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), provides $145 billion to be spent on education.
"In terms of higher education, it boosts Pell Grants by $500 in 2009 and by an additional $500 in 2010," Courtney said.
The maximum Pell Grant award for the 2009-2010 academic year will be increased to $5,350. That award will be increased to $5,850 for the 2010-2011 academic year.
The ARRA also allots $6 billion for higher education construction projects. Connecticut would receive a $58 million share of those funds.
The ARRA will increase funding for the federal work study program, as well as the Federal Stafford Loan.
"It's going to raise the limit on federal student loans by $2,000," Courtney said, who explained that Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans usually offer lower interest rates.
"They offer a lot more consumer protection," Courtney said, explaining one of the benefits of taking out a federal student loan.
"Another big piece of the stimulus package is tax credit," Courtney said. "Tuition tax credit is a way of giving $2,500 of tuition relief to families."
The ARRA provides a $2,500 tax credit for families earning less than $80,000 a year.
An increase in federal government funding for higher education would take some pressure off of states who are struggling to provide adequate funding.
The bill passed through the House on a 244-188 vote that was divided primarily along party lines; all but 11 House Democrats voted for the bill, whereas no House Republicans voted for the bill.
Joe Courtney, Congressman for Connecticut's 2nd congressional district, was among the House Democrats who voted for the bill.
As a member of the Education and Labor Committee, Courtney wants to see the federal government increase funding for higher education. The stimulus package, called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), provides $145 billion to be spent on education.
"In terms of higher education, it boosts Pell Grants by $500 in 2009 and by an additional $500 in 2010," Courtney said.
The maximum Pell Grant award for the 2009-2010 academic year will be increased to $5,350. That award will be increased to $5,850 for the 2010-2011 academic year.
The ARRA also allots $6 billion for higher education construction projects. Connecticut would receive a $58 million share of those funds.
The ARRA will increase funding for the federal work study program, as well as the Federal Stafford Loan.
"It's going to raise the limit on federal student loans by $2,000," Courtney said, who explained that Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans usually offer lower interest rates.
"They offer a lot more consumer protection," Courtney said, explaining one of the benefits of taking out a federal student loan.
"Another big piece of the stimulus package is tax credit," Courtney said. "Tuition tax credit is a way of giving $2,500 of tuition relief to families."
The ARRA provides a $2,500 tax credit for families earning less than $80,000 a year.
An increase in federal government funding for higher education would take some pressure off of states who are struggling to provide adequate funding.
Be the first to comment on this story