October 2, 2015
Rep. Pat Dillon decried Congress' termination of the Perkins Loan Program, which provides low interest loans for higher education, terming the action as 'mean spirited' and 'short sighted.'
"Congress has failed to invest in the future of our economy and our students by terminating the Perkins Loan program, which provides low interest loans for higher education to needy students. Since the program is partly funded by payments from prior recipients, the claims of cost saving do not ring true. The program is small in Federal terms -under $2 billion- but has an outsized impact because it helps low income families," Rep. Dillon said.
The program ended Oct 1, 2015.
Attached are a rough estimate of the impact on Connecticut colleges and universities based on prior years, and a letter from the US Department of Education.
US Dept Ed: Wind Down of Perkins Loans