Lee Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Make Higher Education More Affordable
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03), Congressman Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06), Congressman David Valadao (CA-22), and Congressman Greg Stanton (AZ-04) introduced the bipartisan Earn to Learn Act. In response to spiking, unsustainable higher education costs, this common-sense legislation would establish a matched-savings program to help low-income students, including adult learners, pay for tuition, books, fees, and other education-related expenses.
“Education is the key to opportunity. Like many, I put myself through college with the help of scholarships, loans, and a number of part-time jobs. Unfortunately, the cost of higher education has skyrocketed, and it’s beyond cost-prohibitive for far too many American families,” said Congresswoman Susie Lee. “We need this bipartisan, commonsense bill to make higher education less expensive and to ensure opportunities to study, train, and learn key skills are truly accessible to everyone.”
“As a community college alum, first-generation college graduate, and Pell Grant recipient, I know firsthand how life-changing access to higher education can be and how it can change the trajectory of a young person’s life and make the American Dream possible. Earn to Learn has a proven track record in Arizona, equipping students who need it most with the resources and financial tools they need to succeed. At a time when our nation faces a growing skilled labor shortage, we should take this proven matched-savings model nationwide to help students finance their education, build strong financial literacy, and gain the skills they need to strengthen our workforce. I’m proud to join Representative Lee in introducing the bipartisan Earn to Learn Act to reduce student loan debt, make higher education more affordable, and expand opportunity for young Americans across the country. Every student deserves the same opportunity to attend college, pursue their goals, and build a better future,” said Rep. Juan Ciscomani.
This bipartisan bill is a much-needed step to addressing the student loans crisis in the United States. Nearly 368,000 Nevadans together owe approximately $13.2 billion in student loan debt. Additionally, 93,000 Nevadans, or 25% of Nevadans with student loans, are in default—and Nevada borrowers in default owe more than $2 billion.
Modeled off the successful Earn to Learn program, the Earn to Learn Act helps Nevadans achieve the education and training they need without taking on crippling debt. Students who qualify save $500 of their own money toward their education. Their investment is then matched 8:1 through a combination of public and private support. The combination of the student’s savings and the match creates up to $4,500 in flexible scholarship support that can address unmet need and remove financial barriers to postsecondary completion.
As seen during the program’s operations at the state level, Earn to Learn scholars have a first-year retention rate nearing 90%, and the majority of them graduate with little or no student loan debt. In fact, the majority of Earn to Learn students graduate with less than $10,000 in student loan debt. The demonstration program created by the bill would enable an estimated 250,000 scholarships over the course of five years.
“So many Earn to Learn students come from families where college never felt possible, and often, the greatest barrier is cost. For more than a decade, Earn to Learn has helped change that reality. Earn to Learn empowers underserved students who have the desire and determination to earn a postsecondary degree but may not have the financial means to get there. Through flexible scholarship funding that addresses both the cost of education and the everyday barriers students face, paired with wraparound support to help them persist, graduate, and move into meaningful careers, Earn to Learn is making the promise of postsecondary education attainable. And the model works. Earn to Learn students graduate at twice the rate of their peers, while taking on significantly less student loan debt, and for many, none at all,” said Kate Hoffman, Founder and CEO, Earn to Learn. “What began here in Arizona now reaches students in eight states and continues to grow. The Earn to Learn Act represents an opportunity to take this proven model nationwide, giving low-income students in communities across the country the chance not simply to enroll in a postsecondary education, but to persist, graduate, and build a stronger economic future for themselves and their families.”
The Earn to Learn Act is endorsed by the Nevada System of Higher Education, University of Nevada Las Vegas, College of Southern Nevada, Nevada State University, and the University of Nevada Reno.
“UNLV is grateful to Congresswoman Susie Lee for reintroducing the bipartisan Earn to Learn Act, which will make higher education more attainable for students here in Nevada and throughout the nation,” said Chris Heavey, UNLV interim president. “College affordability is a widespread issue, and this innovative program reduces reliance on student loans and introduces students to important principles of financial literacy that will serve them well today and long after they graduate and enter the workforce.”
“The College of Southern Nevada strongly supports the Earn to Learn Act as championed by Congresswoman Lee. This Act will provide a financial opportunity for students to access higher education and achieve a dream by limiting financial barriers,” said Dr. Stacy Klippenstein, President, College of Southern Nevada.
Before coming to Congress, Lee spent two decades leading education non-profits – reducing dropout rates and making sure Nevada kids had the wrap-around services they needed to thrive.
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