I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
The U.S. House voted Thursday afternoon “to eliminate billions of dollars in federal subsidies to private insurers offering low-rate student loans.” All three New Mexico Representatives, all Democrats, voted for the student loan reform bill.
As the Washington Independent reports:
Sponsors of the bill say it will save $90 billion over the next decade — money that would be pumped back into the realm of student aid by funding Pell Grants and keeping rates low.
Speaking at a health reform rally at the University of Maryland earlier in the day, President Obama said the bill will eliminate “unwarranted subsidies” to the insurance industry, “money that doesn’t do anything to make your loans any cheaper.”
Congressmen Martin Heinrich, Ben Ray Luján and Harry Teague voted with the majority of Democrats (only four Democrats voted against while only six Republicans voted for the bill) in passing the bill.
Heinrich said in a statement, “By expanding educational and career training opportunities for all New Mexicans, we are preparing them to succeed in the global economy. This bill is a landmark investment in our economic future.”
Teague provided two amendments to the bill, one which said the $10 billion in tax money that Democrats way will be saved by this bill will go directly to deficit-reduction. The second “gives community colleges the ability to prioritize programs that serve veterans and increase programs for workforce training in energy related fields” according to a Teague release.
Teague said in a statement, “Today, with the passage of this legislation, we save $10 billion dollars of taxpayer money. I am proud of the bi-partisan and unanimous support I received for taking the $10 billion dollars we saved by streamlining the system and locking it away for the purpose of deficit reduction.”
“By making student financial aid more affordable and accessible, we will provide more students with the means to achieve their dreams and to better our communities for a brighter tomorrow,” Luján said in a statement.
The release from Heinrich says the legislation would provide “more than $97.3 million” in funding for the First Congressional District, which Heinrich represents, and will “increase the maximum annual Pell Grant scholarship to $5,550 in 2010 and to $6,900 by 2019.”
The release from Teague says the bill would provide “$117.9 million in 2nd Congressional District” for Pell Grants while raising the maxiumum annual Pell Grant scholarship to the same rates as in the 1st Congressional District.
In the 3rd Congressional District, the release from Luján said, “$98.8 million will be invested in higher education grants. 20,326 students in the district will be eligible to receive Pell Grants in 2010.”
