Dear COHEAO Members,
As many of you know, the College Affordability Act (CAA) that passed out of the House Education and Labor Committee last fall included a new Direct Perkins Loan Program, a version of the previous Perkins Loan program. While we are supportive of the idea behind this proposal, it has a serious flaw in that it does not currently allow for campus-based servicing, which has been a major pillar in the success of the program over the last six decades. We know many schools would like the option to continue to service these loans.
COHEAO has prepared a letter (attached) to Chairman Scott and Ranking Member Foxx of the Education and Labor Committee asking for a campus-based servicing option to be included in the CAA when/if it goes to the floor. We have reached out to several higher education associations and industry groups to sign on to this letter, such as the American Council on Education (ACE), which has joined the letter and today distributed to its membership and the other higher education associations. A fact sheet on the servicing issue prepared by COHEAO is attached for reference as well.
The sign-on letter is open to both associations and institutions of higher education. If your organization or institution would like to sign-on to this letter, please fill out this form. The link can also be accessed here: https://forms.gle/5DhvYQBqfqkXo3GZA . We are hoping to send the letter to the week of Jan. 20th.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Harrison Wadsworth, COHEAO Executive Director at hwadsworth@bosepublicaffairs.com or Greg Marak, Public Policy Specialist, at gmarak@bosepublicaffairs.com