Contact Your Representatives on the Perkins Loan Extension Act!
Great news! Yesterday, Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21), Mark Pocan (D-WI-02) Louise Slaughter (D-NY-25), John Duncan (R-TN-02), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL-27) and Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-11) introduced the Perkins Loan Extension Act of 2017, H.R. 2482. Thanks to the hard work of COHEAO and other Perkins Loan advocates, the bill was introduced with strong bipartisan support, and now we need to generate additional cosponsors and demonstrate institutional support. That’s where you come in.
In order to generate additional cosponsors, we are asking that you send a message to your Congressional Representative similar to the draft message available here.
Demonstrating widespread support for a Perkins Loan extension is the only way it will pass both the House and Senate. To identify your Representative, enter your zip code here. We also have a listing of Congressional staff who work on education issues attached with this message. You can email your Representatives staff with your message in support of the Perkins Loan Extension Act.
After you have contacted your Representative, please let us know by sending an email to Hannah Allen (hallen@wpllc.net). Your email will help COHEAO keep track of the communications and outreach to our Representatives.
If your institution would like to formally endorse of the Perkins Loan Extension Act of 2017, please email Alicia Molt (Alicia.molt@house.gov) to ensure that your institution is included in the list of Universities nationwide supporting the Perkins Loan Program.
COHEAO will also be organizing grassroots calls for Perkins Loan advocates in numerous states. If you are interested in participating in a call with your Representative’s office, please contact Hannah Allen (hallen@wpllc.net).
The introduction of the Perkins Loan Extension Act is a very important step to having both the House and Senate pass an extension bill. Our Perkins champions now need your institution to demonstrate its commitment to the continuation of the Perkins Loan Program by asking your Representative to cosponsor this bill.
Thank you for your continued support of the Perkins Loan Program and providing access to higher education for students who would otherwise be unable to attend or complete college.
Attachment: Congressional Education Staff 051817
