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WASHINGTON, DC – On Monday Congressman John Garamendi (D-Fairfield, CA), a former University of California Regent and California State University trustee who represents the UC Davis community in Congress, praised President Obama's decision to ease the crushing burden of college loan debt for five million student borrowers.
Under the president's plan, being drafted by the Department of Education with a planned implementation by December 2015, an estimated five million borrowers with federal student loans will be able to cap their monthly payments at just 10 percent of their income.
"No one should be priced out of an education. Student loan debt is out of control in America. It's preventing students with loans from taking the entrepreneurial risks that jumpstart economies, stopping students from taking public service jobs, and causing many students to think twice before enrolling in the college education that could forever improve life for them and their families," Garamendi said.
Garamendi added, "In 2010, I was proud to vote for a substantial student loan reform that created a fairer system for new borrowers. It cut out the for-profit middlemen and capped yearly student loan payments at 10 percent of one's income. It was an important step, but people who already had loans were not included in that reform. I'm glad the president is taking this step, helping five million more borrowers finally escape the crippling burden of student loan debt."
Congressman Garamendi is also a cosponsor of H.R. 4582, the Bank on Students Emergency Refinancing Act, which would help 25 million borrowers nationwide refinance their existing federal and private student loans to lower interest rates, similar to those that are currently available to new student loan borrowers.
In total, American families would save around $55 billion under the legislation, which they can then reinvest in their local economy.
Specifically, a recent analysis of the Bank on Students Emergency Refinancing Act by the Congressional Research Service shows that a middle-class undergraduate student borrower with an average loan debt would save more than $4,000 over the life of his or her loan.
A typical graduate student would save more than $2,500, and parents who borrowed to pay for their child’s education would save more than $3,500.
President Obama spoke favorably about this legislation in his remarks Monday.
The president's plan is a furtherance of the college loan reform that Congress passed in 2010, legislation that was strongly supported by Congressman Garamendi.
That reform ensured that all recipients of new federal college loans could cap their repayment at 10 percent of their income, with outstanding balances forgiven after 20 years of payment or 10 years of payment for those working in public service jobs like teaching and nursing.
However, the student loan reform did not extend to loans issued before the law. Monday's action paves the way for older student loans to be grandfathered into a system more favorable toward students in debt.
Over the past three decades, the average tuition at public four-year colleges has more than tripled, while family incomes have remained stagnant. 71 percent of those earning a bachelor’s degree graduate with debt, which averages $29,400.
Under the president's proposal, a 2009 graduate earning about $39,000 a year as a fourth year teacher, with student loan debt of $26,500, would have his or her initial monthly payments reduced by $126 a month, an annual reduction in loan payments of more than $1,500.
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UKIAH, Calif. – Mendocino College Graduate and Award Recipient Alfred “Justice” Thomas has been accepted to Morehouse College in Atlanta.
Thomas will become a Morehouse Man alongside fellow alumni Martin Luther King Jr; former Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson; World Series MVP Donn Clendenon and famed director Spike Lee.
Thomas leaves Mendocino College with an associate of arts degree in social studies and as a recipient of a full-time faculty award.
Catherine Indermill, a full-time faculty member nominated Thomas for the award because he was a two-sport athlete with a 3.3 grade point average who consistently excelled in his coursework, basketball and football.
“He managed to balance his classes, homework, two sports and worked part-time for Applebee’s,” Indermill said.
Born and raised in Oakland, Thomas came to Mendocino College two years ago and credits his coaches and instructors with helping him be successful.
In particular, “Coach Espy talked with me and gave me great advice. I really appreciated having his support and encouragement,” said Thomas.
One of four children, Thomas has decided to pursue a career in psychology with an emphasis in marriage and family counseling.
When asked why he chose this career, he simply stated, “I want to help couples stay together and work out their problems.”
For more information about the Mendocino College Foundation, visit www.foundation.mendocino.edu or call 707-467-1018.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Sierra Club Lake Group is pleased to announce that for the third year in a row it has awarded a pair of $1,000 scholarships to two graduating seniors from Lake County high schools who are planning careers that will support the Club's mission to “enjoy, explore, and protect” the planet.
On May 29, Lake Group Chair Ed Robey presented an award to Middletown High School graduate Connor James Smith, whose application stated “my goal is to make a change for the better in the world. With an engineering degree, I hope to deliver technology that will help society live harmoniously with our planet without sacrificing our lifestyle. I am fond of combining my interest in cars with my passion for the environment to join the field of environmentally friendly transportation ...”
Smith will enroll in the University of California’s San Diego campus in the fall.
The following day executive committee member and Scholarship Committee chair Cheri Holden gave a second award to Upper Lake High School senior Marcella Stifter.
Stifter loves Clear Lake and its wildlife, and plans to major in fisheries biology at Humboldt State University with a minor in marine biology – with the intention of returning to Lake County with the skills needed to improve the fish population in Clear Lake.
Lake Group congratulates both these fine young people, and wishes them every success on the next stage of their journey.
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LAKEPORT – The Lake County Historical Society has awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Jordin Simons, a member of Upper Lake High School’s 2014 graduating class.
All applicants for the Lake County Historical Society scholarship are required to present an essay on Lake County History.
Simons' essay was titled “The Bloody Island Massacre.”
She traces the events that led up to the massacre and reveals that the massacre took place in the area where she later grew up.
Simons was active in sports, school clubs and community service. Her active schedule did not hamper her academic achievements, which include a total GPA of 4.1277 and placing third in her high school class. The Santa Rosa Press Democrat selected her as one of the two Upper Lake High School Scholar Athletes for 2014.
She was the captain of the 2013 varsity soccer team and ran both varsity track and varsity cross country.
She was on the Academic Decathlon team for four years. Jordin was active in the Associated Student Body during her high school days and served as ASB vice president and president.
Simons' community service included being active in the Lake County Adopt-A-Road program; serving as an assistant coach in the Konocti Youth Soccer League and raising money for the Lights of Love organization.
Simons plans to attend Cal State University at Monterey Bay, where she will major in graphic design and communication.