For immediate release: October 15, 2012.

Kuster Talks College Affordability With NEC Students, Slams Bass On Pell Grants

CONCORD, N.H. – Following a candidate forum this morning at New England College, Annie Kuster held a roundtable with students to talk about higher education and college affordability.

“As a working mom who has helped put two kids through college, I know that these tuition payments are breathtaking,” said Kuster. “We absolutely have to do more to bring down tuition so that higher education is within the reach of every hardworking young person.”

Kuster criticized Congressman Bass’s repeated votes for the Ryan budget, which makes deep cuts to education while giving new tax breaks to millionaires.

“Congressman Bass has consistently stood by his votes for the Ryan budget that would make deep cuts to education and reduce Pell Grants for millions of hardworking young people, while at the same time giving millionaires new tax breaks they don’t need and America simply cannot afford. Sadly, this is what we’ve come to expect from a party whose presidential nominee thinks that students should get ‘as much education as they can afford.’”

BACKGROUND

Ryan Budget Cuts Critical Education Programs. “9.6 million students would see their Pell Grants fall by more than $1000 in 2014, and, over the next decade, over one million students would lose support altogether. This would derail bipartisan education reforms and deeply undermine K-12 education and college opportunity.” [OMB, 3/21/12]

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