From mlbrown@artsci.wustl.eduThu Mar 26 14:15:32 1998 Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 01:13:26 -0600 (CST) From: Malaina Lauren Brown To: GSSenators@artsci.wustl.edu Subject: [gssenators] GSS Minutes Below are the preliminary February minutes. Please review for approval at this Friday's meeting. Thanks. Malaina > > Graduate Student Senate Preliminary Minutes: February 13, 1998 > > I. Call to order at 4:05 pm. 17 people present. > > II. January 1998 minutes approved. > > III. Upcoming Events. > A. Graduate Student Spring Reception: 2/20/98 > 1. The reception is on track. Please talk it up. > B. Graduate Student Research Symnposium: 3/4/98 > 1. Abstracts and faculty judges are needed! Please talk it up. Peter > Lampe will provide a general e-mail that senators can forward to potential > faculty judges regarding the symposium. > C. Graduate Student Happy Hour > 1. No update. Will be put on next agenda. > > IV. Committee Reports > A. Activities. See Upcoming Events. > B. Issues. > 1. Waiting for a response from Gary Sparks, Director of Transportation > regarding the Evening Shuttle. Are there problems with these? Mixed > reports. > 2. Potential parking issues in the future (raising rates). Students were > surveyed, but almost all those surveyed were undergrads. > 3. Sebastian Wogenstein gave an update from the Graduate Council's Library > Committee. They are evaluating the GSAS home page, as well as those of > departments. If you have any suggestions regarding home pages, contact > Sebastian or Joe Allen (committee chair) (jrallen@artsci.wustl.edu). > David Colclasure is serving on a focus committee that will evaluate the > possibility of more study space for graduate students in Olin Library. > 4. TA Committee is focusing on resources in distance education. > C. Publicity. No report. > D. University Housing. (ad-hoc) > 1. Van Savage and Susan Mahan are working with Cobi regarding the housing > survey. It is being reviewed by various people. > E. GSS Bulletin. (ad-hoc) > 1. The bulletins will be mailed to you early next week. Please > distribute. > F. G-SHAC (university committee). No report. > G. GPC. > 1. Has filled the vacant VP and Secretary positions (ad-hoc). > 2. GPC Spring Happy Hour is 4/17/98 at the Business School. > > V. Old Business > A. Resident candidate fee. > 1. Some senators report that their departments aren't concerned. Little > discussion. Issue is struck from the agenda. > B. Dissertation/New Student support groups. > 1. Bob Easton, director of Counseling Services spoke briefly about the new > dissertation support group, Dissertation Bumps. He passed out flyers for > senators to post and explained that the group would basically be what the > students want it to be. Organizational meeting 2/16 at 4pm. Later > updates on regular meeting time and place. > 2. The GSS Bulletin brings up the possibility of new student support > groups Interested students are to contact GSS@artsci.wustl.edu. > C. Child Care > 1. Shawn Rowe reported on his discussion with Susan Appleton, who as part > of the Association of University Women Faculty plans to distribute a > survey about the child care needs of faculty, students and staff. > 2. Shawn will have further discussions with Ms. Appleton regaarding the > survey. > 3. The GSS agrees to help disseminate the survey if our help is needed. > > VI. New Business > A. Regulation of graduate student groups. > 1. We have received our first application. > 2. What are ways to publicize this? > > VII. Announcements of opportunity. > A. Delegate to Regional NAGPS conference (3/21-23) in Oklahoma are needed. > Sessions will focus on national graduate issues, distance learning, and > web session publishing, among others. > B. Board of trustees representatives (term summer 98-spring 99). > Applications are available in the graduate School Office on 2/17. > C. GSS elections for President, Vice-President, and Secretray (term: > summer 98-spring 99) will be held April 3. Committee chairs may be > selected as well. > D. Arts and Sciences grant Workshop on 3/11 from 11:30-12:30. > E. Grad students who are successful in receiving external funcding will > receive a 5% bonus. Details are not clear. Contace Ms. Hannebrink at > Dean Thach's office for more details. > > VIII. Meeting adjourned at 4:50. > > Next meeting is Friday, March 13 at 4 pm in January Hall Room 30. > > > From smahan@hbar.wustl.eduThu Mar 26 14:15:39 1998 Date: Wed, 11 Mar 1998 16:04:07 -0600 (CST) From: "Susan E. Mahan" To: GSS Senators Subject: [gssenators] STOP Student Loan Interest Rates from Rising! (fwd) PLEASE FORWARD TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND COLLEGUES Dear Senators and friends, We are facing a difficult situation in Congress. There's a move afoot to repeal the proposed reduction in student loan interest rates. Interest rates are currently scheduled to drop by 1% or more this summer. HOWEVER, the banks have rallied to pressure Congress to repeal this scheduled reduction, costing graduate/professional students with loans thousands of dollars (see below to calculate how much it would cost you). A comprehensive explanation follows, forwarded from the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students (NAGPS). For updates, check the NAGPS web site at http://www.nagps.org/Student_Aid/Loan_Rates/ and/or join the nagps-update list (send email to secretary@nagps.org and ask him to subscribe to you nagps-update). Now is the time to impact Congresspeople on the Committee, from Missouri, and from your home districts. Susan Mahan GSS President NAGPS Vice-President ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 9 Mar 1998 15:54:17 -0800 From: Bryan Hannegan To: nagps-update@nagps.org Subject: Calls Needed to Lower Loan Interest Rates! NAGPS Legislative Update Monday, March 9, 1998 Legislation Proposed to Take Billions of Dollars from Students! CALLS TO CONGRESS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY Late last week, three House Democrats and eight House Republicans introduced legislation that would take as much as $10 BILLION over the next ten years out of students' pockets and give it to student loan lenders and banks. This bill, H.R. 3291, the Student Loan Preservation Act, would repeal the reduction in the interest rate on student loans, scheduled to take effect for loans made after July 1, 1998. For the average student (borrowing $12,000 to $50,000 to get an undergraduate or graduate degree), the interest rate reduction will save you between $1,200 and $6,000 on the cost of your loan. H.R. 3291 will probably not become law, but as a negotiating point it illustrates the impressive inroads made by lobbyists for student loan companies with Congress - convincing many that if the scheduled rate reduction goes into effect, massive chaos will reign in the student loan market. To mix metaphors, the Chicken Littles of the loan industry say that the sky is falling - but it is up to students to tell Congress that the "Emperor has no Clothes." Members of Congress, faced with lobbyists from the banking industry, and highly concerned campus administrators (whose lending relationships have been threatened with termination by some in the lending industry), are looking to solve this "Student Loan Crisis." Students' voices are being drowned out, and the result could very well be the elimination or emasculation of the only federal initiative in many years that comes close to addressing growing student loan debt. IF YOU HAVE A STUDENT LOAN OR PLAN ON TAKING OUT A STUDENT LOAN IN THE FUTURE, YOU NEED TO COMMUNICATE WITH CONGRESS THIS WEEK OR YOUR LOANS WILL COST YOU MUCH MORE MONEY TO REPAY. It's that simple. The rest of this update gives you: * Background Information * Suggested Actions You Can Take * Talking Points * How to Find More Information In sum, the best thing you can do today to help ensure that your student loan remains as affordable as possible is to call Congress and tell them "don't repeal the interest rate reduction on my student loans just to make the banks richer." BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Under the Student Loan Reform Act (SLRA) of 1993, the means for annual adjustment of the interest rate is to change from the "bond rate of the 91-day Treasury bill + 2.5%" to the "average simple interest rate on the 10 to 20-year Treasury bonds + 1%". The effect of this index change at today's rates would be to reduce the rate on student loans from 7.5% to 7.1% for students in school, and from 8.1% to 7.1% for students in loan repayment. These changes which will take effect on July 1, 1998 will save students as much as $10 BILLION! over the life of their loans, according to an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office. In the past few months, for-profit banks and tax-exempt lenders which offer student loans have complained to Congress that the change of interest rate indexes used in calculating the student loan interest will make it harder for them to turn a profit on student loans. In response to the lenders' claims , the House Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education, Training and Life-Long Learning convened a hearing on Thursday, March 5, to discuss possible changes to the current law proposed to take effect on July 1. Lenders have proposed that interest rates only be reduced by 0.15% on new loans, forcing students to absorb several billion dollars in increased interest rate costs on their student loans that they would not have to absorb under current law! An analysis by the Treasury Department showed that lenders, on average, could sustain a 0.5% to 0.8% reduction in student loan interest rates and still remain profitable, and this analysis did not figure in some of the particular advantages held by tax-exempt lenders like the Student Loan Marketing Association (SLMA, or "Sallie Mae"), who, because of their tax-exempt status, actually realize a much higher profit on student loans than for-profit banks like Citibank currently do. Based largely on the findings of the Treasury report, the Clinton Administration proposed that interest rates be reduced by 0.8% for all new loans in both programs after July 1, 1998; this proposal largely achieves the savings intended by the current law, but remedies some of the lenders' concerns in other areas as well. H.R. 3291 represents the worst of all possible outcomes for students: no rate reduction at all! Banks and lenders have also claimed that a reduction in the interest rate on new student loans would force some smaller lenders out of the market and decrease access to student loan funds, perhaps even causing a "collapse of the student loan system". However, many lenders, particularly smaller lenders with small profit margins, have been using the rate reduction as a marketing tool, trying to get college Financial Aid offices and college Presidents to commit to "preferred lender arrangements" which tie the financial needs of students at a given college or university to a particular student loan lender. No example has yet been cited where the proposed interest rate reduction would leave students at a particular college or university without any form of student loans! The "impending crisis" really isn't a "crisis" at all! SUGGESTED ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE: Members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce are meeting THIS WEEK to discuss possible changes to the Higher Education Act which would reduce or eliminate the scheduled interest rate reduction on new student loans. It is absolutely imperative that you call the following offices and express your support for the maximum interest rate reduction possible! Use the talking points provided below to make your case for an interest rate reduction. Contact EACH of the following offices: NAME PHONE FAX EMAIL William F.Goodling (R-PA-19) 202-225-5836 202-226-1000 N/A Bill Clay (D-MO-01) 202-225-2406 202-225-1725 N/A ``Buck'' McKeon (R-CA-25) 202-225-1956 202-226-0683 tellbuck@mail.h= ouse.gov Dale E. Kildee (D-MI-09) 202-225-3611 202-225-6393 dkildee@mail.ho= use.gov Once you've done that, call or fax BOTH of the offices of the Education and the Workforce Committee: Republican Committee Staff Phone: 202-225-4527 Fax: 202-225-9571 Democratic Committee Staff Phone: 202-225-3725 Fax: 202-225-9050 Now, contact as many of the members of the Committee from your state or district as you can by phone: Republicans: Democrats: Thomas E. Petri, Wisconsin George Miller, California Marge Roukema, New Jersey Matthew G. Martinez, California Harris W. Fawell, Illinois Major R. Owens, New York Cass Ballenger, North Carolina Donald M. Payne, New Jersey Bill Barrett, Nebraska Dennis J. Kucinich, Ohio Peter Hoekstra, Michigan Patsy T. Mink, Hawaii Michael N. Castle, Delaware Robert E. Andrews, New Jersey Sam Johnson, Texas Timothy J. Roemer, Indiana James M. Talent, Missouri Robert C. (Bobby) Scott, Virginia James C. Greenwood, Pennsylvania Lynn C. Woolsey, California Joe Knollenberg, Michigan Carlos A. Romero-Barcel, Puerto Rico Frank Riggs, California Chaka Fattah, Pennsylvania Lindsey O. Graham, South Carolina Ruben Hinojosa, Texas Mark E. Souder, Indiana Carolyn McCarthy, New York David M. McIntosh, Indiana John Tierney, Massachusetts Charlie Norwood, Georgia Ron Kind, Wisconsin Ron Paul, Texas Loretta Sanchez, California Bob Schaffer, Colorado Harold E. Ford, Jr., Tennessee John E. Peterson, Pennsylvania Fred Upton, Michigan Nathan Deal, Georgia Van Hilleary, Tennessee Joe Scarborough, Florida Use the House Switchboard at 202-225-3121, and ask for the office of your choice. Additionally, send a FREE FAX to members of the Committee using the NAGPS Email-to-FAX Gateway. Just go to the NAGPS Home Page (http://www.nagps.org/NAGPS/) and click on the Interest Rate Page link.There, you'll see the E-mail-to-FAX Gateway link at the very top. Click on that, and fill out the forms, edit the sample letter provided (or write your own!) and send it off! Your email message will become a fax, delivered to the correct office! Finally, call your campus Financial Aid office and your college or university President's or Chancellor's office. Tell them you're against the elimination of the interest rate reduction and need their help to convince Congress. Ask them to call Congress and members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce themselves to communicate how important saving the rate reduction is to their students, and to reducing the growing student debt burden on all students across the nation. TALKING POINTS: The key message to convey is that we want to see the student loan interest rate reduced by the maximum amount possible (at least 0.8%) while still maintaining the health of the FFELP student loan program. The banks and lenders clearly can sustain a larger reduction in the interest rate than the 0.15% they have offered, and current law demands a substantial rate reduction for students. When communicating with fellow students, your Financial Aid office, your campus Administration, or offices of Members of Congress, be sure to communicate the following points: 1. Failing to reduce the student loan interest rate, as promised in current law, represents the loss of billions of dollars in financial aid to students trying to finance their college educations. 2. Interest rate reductions are the surest way to minimize student debt, and make college more affordable for all, because the benefits are compounded for the life of the loan, not just once. 3. A reduction of the interest rate by 1% will save a student roughly $100 per year for each $10,000 in student loans they accumulate, according to the American Council on Education. Tell them how your student loans would have benefitted from such a change, and urge them not to deny this benefit to future students! 4. Threats of an "impending student loan crisis" caused by lender withdrawals from the FFELP program are hollow. There is not a single confirmed instance where students at any college or university will be left without financial aid because of this pending rate change. In fact, many lenders are using this issue to consolidate their hold on particular colleges and universities. 5. The true "student loan crisis" is the massive levels of debt held by today's college students which prevent investment in first homes, small businesses, and delay the start of families upon graduation. Reducing the interest rate will reduce student debt. 6. The Treasury Department analysis shows that banks and lenders can, on average, give up to 0.8% in interest rate reductions and still maintain profitability, and this analysis does not include the benefits that tax-exempt lenders use to increase their profit margins! They can give even more! 7. There is no indication that a higher student loan interest rate will force colleges and universities to reduce college costs. The true "college cost" problem is in the overall cost to the student, and reducing the loan interest rate is one way to reduce this cost. 8. Without an interest rate reduction, students will end up losing all of the benefits of last year's tax initiatives in higher student loan interest accumulation and higher monthly payments. 9. Loan and mortgage rates in most every other economic sector have been on the decline for the past few years. If you can get a home mortgage for 30 years or an automobile loan at 7%, why not a student loan for 10 years at the same rate? HOW TO FIND MORE INFORMATION: A more detailed fact sheet on this issue is available from the NAGPS "Interest Rate Debacle" Page, located on the NAGPS Web Site at http://www.nagps.org/Student_Aid/Loan_Rates/ This page also has comprehensive background information on this and parallel issues, including background data on lenders, reports on the emergence of interest rate reduction proposals, and analysis from the Treasury Department on the health of the student loan program. ___________________________________________________________________________ This message | *** *** *** Stop the Raid on Student Aid! *** *** *** sent via the | Send your letter to SAVE-STUDENT-AID@NETCOM.COM -- NAGPS NAGPS E-mail | will print it and hand-deliver it to your Member(s) of Server | Congress From smahan@hbar.wustl.eduThu Mar 26 14:15:46 1998 Date: Wed, 11 Mar 1998 16:05:11 -0600 (CST) From: "Susan E. Mahan" To: GSS Senators , Graduate-Professional Council , krrahn@ls.wustl.edu, lderigne@socwork.wustl.edu, lyonl1@arch.wustl.edu, shadmans@msnotes.wustl.edu, smahan@hbar.wustl.edu, smrowe@artsci.wustl.edu, washingtong@wuolin.wustl.edu, weburris@ls.wustl.edu, wendler@rescomp.wustl.edu, wu@simon.wustl.edu Subject: NAGPS' Top 10 "Interest"ing Reasons to Call Congress (fwd) FYI ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 11 Mar 1998 10:39:47 -0800 From: NAGPS To: nagps-update@nagps.org Subject: NAGPS' Top 10 "Interest"ing Reasons to Call Congress 3/11/98 Dear NAGPS Members and Colleagues; Why should you contact Congress TODAY to express your support for maintaining the Student Loan Interest Rate Reduction scheduled to take effect July 1, 1998? 1. IT IS YOUR MONEY - PART 1! This isn't taxpayer money, it's your money. Do you really want to give more of it to the company loaning you money? Below we explain how you could save $4,000 - $5,000 or more if the interest rate reduction goes into effect. Why give it to banks? 2. IT IS YOUR MONEY - PART 2! Special for those 30% at direct lending schools - the government has said that it does NOT need the additional interest, but if the lending institutions keep the rate reduction from going into effect, YOU WILL HAVE TO PAY MORE! For no reason! The two loan programs will probably have the same interest rate - meaning even on campuses where the government makes the loans, you'll pay the higher interest rate. We can assure you that the government will NOT create a memorial in your honor with your extra money. 3. CONGRESS WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU! Members of Congress have said to NAGPS representatives..."Why haven't we heard from students on this? We hear every week from lobbyists for lending institutions...don't the students care about paying more?" 4. CONTACT CONGRESS FOR FREE! NAGPS has made it so easy to communicate with Congress. We've given you the names and numbers of the Education & Workforce Committee (http://www.nagps.org/NAGPS/). We've also provided a way for you to FAX CONGRESS FOR FREE via our Email to Fax gateway. This gateway is so easy to us - you just pick the person you want to fax, enter your message, put your name and address on it and VOILA...they get a fax. FREE to you! 5. THE MESSAGE IS SIMPLE! You can spend the time trying to understand the various details of the 1993 Student Loan Reform Act and the scheduled interest rate reduction, but the message to Congress is a very simple one - "Keep my Interest Rate Reduction. Don't make me give more money to these banks than I have to. Listen to students who really need a break on student debt." Don't worry about having lengthy, technical conversations with staffers - the person taking your call will simply register your opinion and then hang up. 6. NUMBERS COUNT BIG TIME! We need everyone to make a call or a fax - quantity of calls on this issue makes a big difference. 7. IT IS YOUR MONEY! Did we mention this? You, personally, will save $100 PER YEAR in repayment for every $10,000 in student loans that you take out that are affected by the interest rate reduction (loans made after 7/1/98). If you borrow the maximum Stafford Loan of $8500 each year for 5 more years, your savings during your repayment could be as much as $4,250!!!!! Isn't that worth a fax today! 8. NOW IS THE CRUCIAL TIME! The Postsecondary Subcommittee really wants to figure out the answer to this issue THIS WEEK. While they may postpone the decision, they are more likely to decide in favor of lending institutions if you, personally, do not make a call or send a fax. TODAY is the best day to contact Congress - while you're on email and can send your fax via our web site (http://www.nagps.org/NAGPS/) 9. THIS IS AN EDUCATION FRIENDLY CONGRESS! Unlike 3 years ago when interest subsidy issues were being examined to see if students should pay more to help balance the budget, this year members of Congress on both sides of the aisle want to do the right thing FOR STUDENTS! But Chicken Littles are convincing many that the sky will fall on the student loan program if this 1% interest rate reduction doesn't go back to the pockets of the banks instead of the students. Some in Congress genuinely believe this will happen. But they haven't heard from students (and many haven't even read the Treasury Report that documents how lenders can afford to give a large interest rate reduction without significant problems). 10. IT IS YOUR MONEY! $11 billion is at stake in this battle. Not $11 billion in taxpayer money, but $11 billion in student loan payments over the next 10 years to institutions who, frankly, don't need the money as bad as you will. Take it from someone making payments on just $15,000 in student loans. You will appreciate more your foresight in helping ensure this rate reduction happens when you are paying $200, $500, $1,000 each month in student loan payments. Isn't a reduction in those payments worth it? Please make your calls and faxes today. Your own future pocketbook depends upon it. Kevin Boyer NAGPS Executive Director *========================================================================* | >>>> The National Association of Graduate - Professional Students <<<< | | 825 Green Bay Road, Suite 270 PHONE: 847-256-1562 | | Wilmette, IL 60091 FAX: 847-256-8954 | | Toll Free 1-888-88-NAGPS * Email to: NAGPS@NETCOM.COM | *------------------------------------------------------------------------* | NAGPS 13th National Conference - Braintree, Massachusetts | | November 19 - 22, 1998 | +-----------------------------------+------------------------------------+ | To access the "members only" NAGPS Internet Job Bank, Grants Page, or | |Fellowship/Scholarship Databank, follow links & complete automated forms| *-----------------------------------+------------------------------------* | #### WWW Site > http://www.nagps.org/NAGPS/ #### | *========================================================================* ___________________________________________________________________________ This message | *** *** *** Stop the Raid on Student Aid! *** *** *** sent via the | Send your letter to SAVE-STUDENT-AID@NETCOM.COM -- NAGPS NAGPS E-mail | will print it and hand-deliver it to your Member(s) of Server | Congress From smahan@hbar.wustl.eduThu Mar 26 14:15:57 1998 Date: Wed, 11 Mar 1998 17:09:05 -0600 (CST) From: "Susan E. Mahan" To: GSS Senators , Graduate-Professional Council , lderigne@artsci.wustl.edu, lyonl1@mies.wustl.edu, shadmans@msnotes.wustl.edu, smahan@hbar.wustl.edu, smrowe@artsci.wustl.edu, washingtong@simon.wustl.edu, weburris@ls.wustl.edu, wendler@rescomp.wustl.edu, wua@simon.wustl.edu, wsgrant@artsci.wustl.edu Cc: nagps@netcom.com Subject: [gssenators] Contact information for Rep. Bill Clay -- Free! PLEASE FORWARD TO YOUR FRIENDS AND COLLEGUES One more note about the Student Loan Preservation Act (H.R. 3291, which would repeal the upcoming reduction in student loan interest rates). It turns out that we in St. Louis have an important role to play. Our representative, Rep. William Clay, is the ranking Democrat on the House Education and Workforce Committee, which is considering H.R. 3291 this week. His office has not received many calls yet from students on this issue. His contact information is listed below. The local call is free, as is the email-to-fax gateway that NAGPS has established at the website below. If you call or send a fax, I'd appreciate hearing about it. Susan Mahan GSS President NAGPS Vice-President Contact information for Rep. Clay: Local office phone: 367-1970 (5261 Delmar, 63108) Washington, DC office phone: 202-225-2406 Local office fax: 367-1341 Washington, DC office fax: 202-225-1725 OR use free email-to-fax gateway at http://www.nagps.org/Student_Aid/Loan_Rates/IRD-Email2FAX.html From smahan@hbar.wustl.eduThu Mar 26 14:16:11 1998 Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 10:03:39 -0600 (CST) From: "Susan E. Mahan" To: GSS Senators , Graduate-Professional Council , krrahn@ls.wustl.edu, lderigne@socwork.wustl.edu, lyonl1@arch.wustl.edu, shadmans@msnotes.wustl.edu, smahan@hbar.wustl.edu, smrowe@artsci.wustl.edu, washingtong@wuolin.wustl.edu, weburris@ls.wustl.edu, wendler@rescomp.wustl.edu, wu@simon.wustl.edu, wsgrant@artsci.wustl.edu Subject: Bipartisan Agreement on Interest Rates! (fwd) Dear Senators, members of GPC, and friends, We have been successful! Your calls, faxes, and email-to-faxes have had an impact! Thanks for your hard work. To monitor this situation and others in Congress, sign up for the nagps-update list (send email to secretary@nagps.org) or keep checking the NAGPS web page (www.nagps.org)! Thanks again for your efforts. Susan Mahan GSS President NAGPS Vice-President ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 12 Mar 1998 15:57:58 -0800 From: Bryan Hannegan To: nagps-update@nagps.org Subject: Bipartisan Agreement on Interest Rates! NAGPS Legislative Update Student Loan Interest Rate Reduction 3:45 pm PST, Thursday, March 12, 1998 INTEREST RATES WILL DROP BY 0.8% FOR NEW LOANS AFTER JULY 1 UNDER NEW BIPARTISAN PROPOSAL! PHONE CALLS NEEDED TO THANK CHAIRMEN OF EDUCATION SUBCOMMITTEE AND TO COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO VOICE SUPPORT FOR THE BIPARTISAN PROPOSAL! (contact information and talking points below) NAGPS has learned this afternoon that House Education Subcommittee Chairman "Buck" McKeon and Ranking Subcommittee Member Dale Kildee have proposed amendments to Title IV of the Higher Education Act that would put into law a significant reduction of student loan interest rates for new loans after July 1, 1998. The bipartisan proposal will reduce interest rates by 0.8%, while paying lenders sufficient interest to maintain the viability of the student loan program. This proposed change, estimated by the Committee to cost $1 billion in taxpayer funds over the next five years, comes in response to lenders' concerns for profitability under existing law scheduled to make changes to the student loan interest on July 1. A drop in the student loan interest rate of this size will yield savings of roughly $650 for every $12,000 borrowed over the ten-year life of the loan. For a Ph.D. student with $30,000 in debt, this amounts to savings of almost $150 a year in reduced interest payments, and a professional school student with $60,000 in debt, this amounts to $300 in annual savings! Reductions in the student loan interest rate are the best way to make loans more affordable, reduce overall student debt, and provide wider access to a graduate or professional school education in many fields. The proposed amendments will be debated by the full House Committee on Education and the Workforce at their hearing scheduled for next Wednesday, March 18. Calls and email messages are needed to the Chairman McKeon and Ranking Member Kildee, thanking them for their efforts to reduce student loan interest rates and keep the student loan program viable: NAME PHONE EMAIL "Buck" McKeon (R-CA-25) 202-225-1956 tellbuck@mail.house.gov Dale E. Kildee (D-MI-09) 202-225-3611 dkildee@mail.house.gov CONTACT MEMBERS OF THE EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE COMMITTEE TO EXPRESS YOUR SUPPORT! In addition, NAGPS needs you to make phone calls to the Members of the Committee on Education and the Workforce in your state, and tell them that you support the bipartisan proposal to lower the student loan interest rate by 0.8% (use the Talking Points listed below): State Committee Member Phone Fax CA Frank Riggs (R-01) 202-225-3311 202-225-3403 EMAIL: repriggs@mail.house.gov CA Lynn C. Woolsey (D-06) 202-225-5161 202-225-5163 EMAIL: lynn.woolsey@mail.house.gov CA George Miller (D-07) 202-225-2095 202-225-5609 EMAIL: George.Miller-Pub@mail.house.gov CA Matthew G. Martinez (D-31) 202-225-5464 202-225-5467 CA Loretta Sanchez (D-46) 202-225-2965 202-225-5859 EMAIL: loretta@mail.house.gov CO Bob Schaffer (R-04) 202-225-4676 202-225-5870 EMAIL: rep.schaffer@mail.house.gov DE Michael N. Castle (R-ALL) 202-225-4165 202-225-2291 EMAIL: delaware@mail.house.gov FL Joe Scarborough (R-01) 202-225-4136 202-225-3414 EMAIL: FL01@mail.house.gov GA Nathan Deal (R-09) 202-225-5211 202-225-8272 GA Charlie Norwood (R-10) 202-225-4101 202-225-0279 HI Patsy T. Mink (D-02) 202-225-4906 202-225-4987 IL Harris W. Fawell (R-13) 202-225-3515 202-225-9420 EMAIL: rep.fawell@mail.house.gov IN David M. McIntosh (R-02) 202-225-3021 202-225-3382 EMAIL: mcintosh@mail.house.gov IN Tim Roemer (D-03) 202-225-3915 202-225-6798 EMAIL: tim.roemer@mail.house.gov IN Mark E. Souder (R-04) 202-225-4436 202-225-3479 EMAIL: souder@mail.house.gov OH Dennis J. Kucinich (D-10) 202-225-5871 202-225-5745 MA John F. Tierney (D-06) 202-225-8020 202-225-5915 MI Peter Hoekstra (R-02) 202-225-4401 202-226-0779 EMAIL: tellhoek@mail.house.gov MI Fred Upton (R-06) 202-225-3761 202-225-4986 EMAIL: talk2.fsu@mail.house.gov MI Joe Knollenberg (R-11) 202-225-5802 202-226-2356 MO William (Bill) Clay (D-01) 202-225-2406 202-225-1725 MO James M. Talent (R-02) 202-225-2561 202-225-2563 EMAIL: rep.talent@mail.house.gov NC Cass Ballenger (R-10) 202-225-2576 202-225-0316 NE Bill Barrett (R-03) 202-225-6435 202-225-0207 NJ Robert E. Andrews (D-01) 202-225-6501 202-225-6583 EMAIL: rob.andrews@mail.house.gov NJ Marge Roukema (R-05) 202-225-4465 202-225-9048 NJ Donald M. Payne (D-10) 202-225-3436 202-225-4160 NY Carolyn McCarthy (D-04) 202-225-5516 202-225-5758 NY Major R. Owens (D-11) 202-225-6231 202-226-0112 PA Chaka Fattah (D-02) 202-225-4001 202-225-5392 PA John E. Peterson (R-05) 202-225-5121 202-225-5796 PA James C. Greenwood (R-08) 202-225-4276 202-225-9511 PA William F. Goodling (R-19) 202-225-5836 202-226-1000 PR R.C.Carlos A. Romero-Barcelo (D) 202-225-2615 202-225-2154 SC Lindsey O. Graham (R-03) 202-225-5301 202-225-3216 TN Van Hilleary (R-04) 202-225-6831 202-225-3272 EMAIL: van.hilleary@mail.house.gov TN Harold E. Ford, Jr. (D-09) 202-225-3265 202-225-5663 TX Sam Johnson (R-03) 202-225-4201 202-225-1485 EMAIL: sam.tx03@mail.house.gov TX Ron Paul (R-14) 202-225-2831 202-226-4871 EMAIL: rep.paul@mail.house.gov TX Ruben Hinojosa (D-15) 202-225-2531 202-225-5688 EMAIL: Rep.Hinojosa@mail.house.gov VA Robert C. Scott (D-03) 202-225-8351 202-225-8354 WI Ron Kind (D-03) 202-225-5506 202-225-5739 EMAIL: ron.kind@mail.house.gov WI Thomas E. Petri (R-06) 202-225-2476 202-225-2356 EMAIL: tompetri@mail.house.gov If you are in a state where there are no members of your House delegation on the Committee on Education and the Workforce, dial the House Switchboard at 202-225-3121 and ask for your Member of Congress. Tell them to offer their support for the bipartisan proposal on student loan interest rates when it comes to the House Floor for a vote! TALKING POINTS Use the following talking points to encourage Members of the Committee to vote for the bipartisan proposal on March 18: 1. The proposed law would save students $11 BILLION dollars in reduced loan interest payments over the next ten years for loans taken out after July 1, 1998. 2. Lower interest accumulation means lower overall student debt, allowing students to pay off their loans quicker and get started earlier on the purchase of new homes, investment, and savings for their childrens' education. 3. The Committee proposal preserves an interest rate that allows lenders to maintain profitability, avoiding any chance whatsoever that lenders will cease offering student loans and withdraw from the loan program. 4. The Committee proposal reduces student loan interest rates by an amount similar to reductions observed for many loan and mortgage rates in most every other ecomomic sector. 5. The Committee proposal allows lenders to use the 91-day T-Bill to set interest rates, which is consistent with lenders' desires to invest their funds in short-term investments to maximize profits. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ For more details on the Student Loan Interest Rate Change, the NAGPS Student Loan Interest Rate Debacle web site at http://www.nagps.org/NAGPS/Student_Aid/Loan_Rates for background, detailed analysis, news, and talking points. ___________________________________________________________________________ This message | *** *** *** Stop the Raid on Student Aid! *** *** *** sent via the | Send your letter to SAVE-STUDENT-AID@NETCOM.COM -- NAGPS NAGPS E-mail | will print it and hand-deliver it to your Member(s) of Server | Congress From smahan@hbar.wustl.eduThu Mar 26 14:16:23 1998 Date: Thu, 12 Mar 1998 16:58:19 -0600 (CST) From: "Susan E. Mahan" To: GSS Senators Subject: [gssenators] Agenda addition Dear Senators, Ms. Barb Blaes, of the American Red Cross, will be addressing the Senate for a few minutes tomorrow. She will talk about the opportunity to sponsor a blood drive (focused on graduate student participation) on campus. Please think about this in advance and bring your questions for her tomorrow, as we will have to make a decision then. I understand that "sponsorship" will mean distribution of promotional flyers (created by the Red Cross), word-of-mouth and email communication, and perhaps minimal assistance the day of the blood drive. We'll get more details tomorrow. Susan From smahan@hbar.wustl.eduThu Mar 26 14:16:44 1998 Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1998 08:23:56 -0600 (CST) From: "Susan E. Mahan" To: GSS Senators Subject: [gssenators] Plea for help (fwd) Attn Senators, Wanjiang Du is a Chinese student in the graduate program in psychology. He is currently trying to find subjects for his master's thesis. Would you be so kind as to forward this message around your departments so that interested parties could help. He is really desperate to get subjects and even attended the reception with the intention of recruiting subjects. Please help him out. Thanks for your time. Scott Hanson Psychology Representative ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 20 Mar 1998 14:02:16 -0600 (CST) From: Wanjiang Du To: jshanson@artsci.wustl.edu Subject: About finding subjects. --------------------------------------------------------------- My dear friend, Here is some basic information about my study. Could you help me to find some subjects? It is a Cross-cultural study among Americans, Chinese, and Japanese. And it is very important to me since my master degree depends on it. I need quite a few American subjects from different divisions at Wash U. Though there are no special requirements, however, they need to be: 1) Graduate students at Wash U, 2) American-born Americans, 3) Between ages of 20 and 30. (But students in Psychology, Social Work, Arts or Law School are NOT preferred since I have sampled them already). The tasks include about 20-25 minutes on computer (very simple decision- making task) and 20-25 minutes on questionnaires. Each participant will be paid $10 cash for his/her help. After complete the experiments, participants will have the opportunity to be explained about the whole study in details if they are interested. They can contact me at 935-6544 (O) or email me at wdu@artsci.wustl.edu. My schedule is pretty open, I can run the experiment at almost any time every week except Monday afternoon. Any other information needed, please let me know. Thanks a lot! Du From smahan@hbar.wustl.eduThu Mar 26 14:17:16 1998 Date: Tue, 24 Mar 1998 14:17:14 -0600 (CST) From: "Susan E. Mahan" To: GSS Senators Cc: Graduate-Professional Council , krrahn@ls.wustl.edu, laddk@mail.olin.wustl.edu, lderigne@artsci.wustl.edu, lyonl1@mies.wustl.edu, obrienm@mail.olin.wustl.edu, shadmans@msnotes.wustl.edu, smahan@hbar.wustl.edu, smrowe@artsci.wustl.edu, washingtong@simon.wustl.edu, weburris@ls.wustl.edu, wendler@rescomp.wustl.edu, wua@simon.wustl.edu Subject: [gssenators] GPSA Week Dear Senators and members of GPC, Wonderful news! Governor Mel Carnahan has proclaimed April 5-11 Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week in Missouri! I received the official proclamation yesterday; a typed copy appears on the GPC web site at http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~gpc/gpsaproc98.html There's also a new section of the GPC website devoted to GPSA week at http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~gpc/gpsawashu.html Both pages are linked from the GPC main page (and may be from the GSS page soon). Check it out -- we at Wash U have some GREAT events planned, and I am so excited! You guys are so cool. . . . Any questions? Susan From smahan@hbar.wustl.eduThu Mar 26 14:17:35 1998 Date: Tue, 24 Mar 1998 16:12:08 -0600 (CST) From: "Susan E. Mahan" To: GSS Senators Subject: [gssenators] April 3 Agenda ** Committee chairs and those that led projects, please send me a short summary of the Senate's accomplishments in your area this year by Friday so that I can incorporate it into the Annual Report. Thanks, Susan ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Annual Meeting of the Graduate Student Senate April 3, 1998, 4:00 pm I. Call to Order II. Approval of the Minutes III. Upcoming Events A. ArtSci/Business Happy Hour April 3 (Simon Hall, 4:30 - 6:30) B. Graduate Student Research Symposium April 4 (Holmes Lounge) C. Graduate Student Happy Hour at the Rat April 8 D. GPC Happy Hour April 17 (Simon Hall, 4:30 - 6:30) E. Orientation Committee Meeting May 1 IV. Annual Report V. Awards VI. Elections A. Approve Elections Procedure B. Election of the President C. Election of the Vice President D. Election of the Secretary E. Announcement of Appointed Positions and Declarations of Interest VII. Adjournment VIII. Announcements The orientation committee is now forming! Please sign the list with your summer contact info or replacements contact info. If your replacement has not yet been selected, please email gss@artsci.wustl.edu with the name as soon as possible, so that your department can be served. Thank you all for your hard work this year. Because of your dedication, it has been a success.