MASON CITY – Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Bruce Braley was in Mason City Thursday on the NIACC campus to highlight differences between his campaign and that of his opponent, Joni Ernst, who he says wants to hurt college students by eliminating loans and grants many of them depend on.
The Braley campaign says that while Braley is “working to reduce the burden of college costs, Joni Ernst said she’d do away with federal student loans and Pell grants, which could put college out of reach for the hundreds of thousands of Iowans who rely on that aid annually for their education.”
Braley said that across Iowa, more than 111,000 students received almost $359 million in Pell Grants during the last school year (maximum Pell grant of $5,645), including over 10,000 students in Western Iowa, and over 26,000 students in North Eastern Iowa. Over 2,500 students from Buena Vista University and North Iowa Area Community College rely on Pell Grants to help cover the costs of their education.
Braley says he used student loans to attend college and has “reached across the party divide to deliver results and reduce the cost burden of college by expanding the Pell Grant program.”
In the 2012-2013 school year, students attending Iowa schools received 228,620 federal Stafford loans worth more than $1 billion. Stafford loans are often cheaper than private fixed-rate loans.
“A good education is the gateway to economic opportunity, but too often, the rising cost of tuition and other college costs are putting that dream out of reach,” said Braley. “That’s why I believe we must do everything possible to make college more affordable, including expanding the Pell Grant program that already helps more than 111,000 Iowa students. But State Sen. Joni Ernst would increase college costs for Iowa students and families with her Tea Party agenda that privatizes all student loans and jeopardizes Pell Grants for nearly 2,500 students at our colleges in Storm Lake and Mason City. As a U.S. Senator, my focus will always be on expanding, rather than limiting, access to a quality college education.”
Braley has introduced legislation to renew tax credits that offset tuition and college costs. He also supports legislation that allows people to refinance student loans to lower interest rates.
According to the Project on Student Debt, students attending four-year colleges and universities in Iowa graduate with an average student debt of $29,456, and 71% of students graduate with some form of debt.
httpv://youtu.be/dccbNnzhJsQ
[poll random]
Liberal is defined as one person or a group of people that the government has sucked the life out of and now look for the tit of the next liberal lawyer to give them all they wish.. Which is enough food and housing to be poor going thorough life with chip on your shoulder always being the victim.. That sums it up !!
Vote Ernst.. Not some thumb sucking lawyer liberal.
The college curriculum is what’s at question here: not addressing proper subjects. I was at NIACC a week ago looking through their offerings. This stuff is all standard outdated fare. Modern Colleges need to be teaching relevant, cutting edge bodies of knowledge. Yes, knowledge is knowledge, but there are many new skills that are left out. The type of curriculum NIACC offers is akin to the 1970’s at best. Time to go out on a limb and REACH!
Philosophus you have a point. One of the biggest problems is that we have alack of people who have the experience to teach those new skills. We have people on the staff that are settled in their ways and they are more interested in serving to collect their pensions than taking any risk. They don’t want to learn anything new that they can bring to the classroom. It’s not their fault there is no core consensus of where this town wants or needs to go coming from the elected officials in City…
Just more lies by Braley. The Democrats do that so well.
Not as sneeky and dishonest as the Repulican thugs that run City Hall and the Court House. Wealthy, powerful and elite who do back room deals, rape and plunder and have their way with the rest of us.
There are more Democrats than republicans in city hall. Get a clue. Also, check the Cerro Gordo County courthouse and see how many liberals you find.
Follow the money.
They lead right to Kuhn and Tornquist
Blodget….Bookmeyer
@Anonymous-You are a fool and stupid to boot. Blodget has nothing to do with Mason City politics. He could care less about this shit hole.
Just to help me (and maybe others) understand, how are you defining liberal, LVS? It’s hard for me to understand if you mean all democrats and most of the republicans are liberals or if you have some other measure. Would you be willing to give us an example of someone ‘almost’ liberal but not?
@Mediator-Sure Doug. Me that is who. I used to vote Democrat all of the time until they started all this giveaway crap. I am a firm belliever in working for a living. Not sponging off the people who do. My Dad worked hard and soI really think Obama has done more to divide and destroy this country than adid I. This crap of free money is BULL. Nothing is free. Someone will have to pay for it. I deeply resent it that people who do not work live better than I am able to, but I live on what I earned.
Cont.-Doug-I hope that answers your question. I think you are a good guy who means well. Somewhat misguided but you are willing to listen. I honestly feel that Obama has done more to divide and destroy this country than any other president in history and I have real problems supporting anyone who still thinks he is O.K. I thought very seriously about voting for him but decided there was no way he could do what he was saying. He is a liar He couldn’t lead a man dying of thirst to a glass of…
Thanks for the explanation. Allow me to say that “live better” may be how it looks from the outside, but since you earned it, that’s always going to feel better on the inside. Have a great weekend!
Geez LVS, you just won’t give up on that partisan bickering crap. Obama has done more to destroy and divide this country than any other president in history? Really? You really feel that way? You don’t even make sense. More 2nd Amendment rights in our entire history have been bestowed under the Obama administration, including the right to carry guns in National Parks. You’re just a bitter pissed off racist man and you need to come to terms with that.
@Philly-None of your business. It was a discussion between Doug and me. Your opinion doesn’t count. Everyone is aware of you.