Perkins
Funding Crisis Resources |
Reauthorization
Threatened 10/27/05 New!
Link
to COHEAO Automated Letter Page
Legislative
Contact Information
Communication
Tips
Discussion
Points for Letters
Sample
Letters
Important
Web Sites
Other
Advocacy Efforts
Reauthorization
Threatened
In last month’s
Update, we announced that the Senate Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) had unanimously approved
S. 1614, The Higher Education Amendments of 2005, a bill reauthorizing
the Higher Education Act of 1965, which included reauthorization
of the Perkins Loan Program. Despite the progress that the higher
education community has made in saving the Perkins Loan Program
from elimination, the Perkins program is still in jeopardy. COHEAO
has notified its members that the Perkins program may be targeted
as the House and Senate explore ways to pay for the damages associated
with Hurricane Katrina. So far there is no direct threat to the
Perkins program, but it is reasonable to assume that eliminating
the program will be considered.
COHEAO advises its members to again contact their Senators and
Congressman, and has prepared a letter that can be personalized.
We are attaching a Congressional leadership list and sample letter
in Word format that can be easily personalized.
Let
Your Voice Be Heard!
Here are just a few
of over 40 employees who recently received a letter from Congresswoman
Virginia Foxx, who represents most of Campus Partners' employees
in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Our employees wrote Congresswoman
Foxx with their concerns about the proposed elimination of the
Perkins Loan Program, and many have received a reply from her
in recent days.
COHEAO
Automated Letter Page
If you are short on
time, but still want to voice your support for the Perkins program,
go to the legislative alert
page on the COHEAO Web site. From there, you can locate
your district representative and senators, customize a letter
to them, and have it e-mailed or ground mailed to them. The process
could not be easier and it is perfect for busy students or their
parents.
Legislative
Contact Information
How
to Contact Your Representative
The House Web site is available at www.house.gov.
From this page, you can find your Representative:
- By entering your zip code and + 4 number. (If you don’t
know your plus four number, you can follow the links to access
the post office Web page to find the number.)
- By entering your representative’s name in the search
box
You can also access
your representative’s Web site by selecting their name from
a drop down box. Each representative’s Web page provides
contact information for his or her Capitol Hill and district offices.
Most list their e-mail address, and some have an online form to
send them e-mail.
The House page also provides information about each House Committee
and its members. You can also find a bill or law through the site.
How
to Contact Your Senator
The Senate Web site is available at www.senate.gov.
From this page, you can find your Senator’s contact information
by choosing your state from a drop down box.
After choosing your state, a page displaying contact information
for each of your Senators, links to their Web sites, and a link
to an online e-mail form will appear.
The Senate page also provides information about each Senate Committee
and its members. You can also find a bill or law through the site.
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Communication
Tips
- Fax a letter to your Representative and Senators. If their
fax number is not available, just call their office for it.
Follow up by mailing a letter. (Just mailing a letter is not
recommended because of mail delays due to mail screening for
bioterror agents.)
- Handwritten, non-form letters make the biggest impact.
- Send an e-mail to your Representative and Senators. Follow
the directions above to find their e-mail addresses.
- Call your Representative and Senators. You will probably
speak to one of their staff members.
- Visit your Representative's or Senator's local office or
in Washington, D.C., if feasible. Take students with you if
possible
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Discussion
Points
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Sample
Letters for Borrowers (from COHEAO) in Word Format
The most effective letters will
come from your current students who might have to scramble for
funds if the Perkins Loan Program were eliminated. Please encourage
your current borrowers to advocate for Perkins.
Sample
Letters for Student Loan Administrators (from
COHEAO) in
Word
If you can give an close estimate of how many students would be
impacted by the elimination of the Perkins, politicians will listen.
Please share this information with the other student loan and
financial aid administrators on your campus.
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Important
Web Sites
www.house.gov
www.senate.gov
- Contacting
the Congress Web Site-Provides easy to follow directions
for locating and contacting members of the 109th Congress, both
represenatives and Senators at the same time. A
prominent link connects Spanish-speaking citizens to a Web page
entirely in Spanish.
www.visi.com/juan/congress/
www.Studentaidalliance.org
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Other
Advocacy Efforts
Fern Johnson,
Collections Manager at Winston-Salem State University, is one
of our local customers. She wrote a guest editorial for
our local paper which you can access by clicking
here . If your local newspaper provides a forum for
a guest editorial, please consider writing one. It is certain
to catch the attention of Senators and Representatives, who employ
clipping services for newspapers in their home district.
Plus, it publicizes the issue.
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