United States Senator Jeff Bingaman visited the University of New Mexico recently to talk about recently passed legislation that makes higher education more affordable and accessible to New Mexicans. The Higher Education Access Act of 2007, which passed on July 24, makes Pell Grants available to students year round so they can attend during the summer and finish college earlier.
It simplifies the financial aid form (FAFSA) each student must complete, provides loan forgiveness as well as scholarships and fellowships, and it removes barriers for students with disabilities and students with limited English proficiency to qualify for financial aid.
“I believe these changes will address the rising costs of college, and make it much easier for New Mexico students to navigate the financial aid process and qualify for financial assistance,” Bingaman said.
UNM President David Schmidly applauded Bingaman’s efforts and said that UNM has as a priority to recruit and retain students and to see them graduate. “We also want to graduate more minority students in graduate programs so that we can hire more minority faculty,” he said.
Gabriel Chacon, an undergraduate student in mechanical engineering, talked about the hardships he faced coming from rural Northern New Mexico to UNM.
“Without Pell Grants I would not have been able to pay my rent, buy food or have transportation. With the grants I didn’t have to worry about finances and I could focus on school,” he said.
Bernadine Hernandez, a graduate student in English, said that financial assistance allowed her to pursue a graduate degree after earning an undergraduate degree thanks to the Lottery Scholarship.
“There was no realistic way for me to continue my education without being in a financial crisis…I was able to obtain a master’s degree because I received a teaching assistantship. While getting paid a stipend to teach English classes, I was able to hold a graduate assistantship in the office of the Associate Vice President for Government and Community Relations to pay my bills. I am truly blessed to have obtained such great opportunities here at UNM,” she said.
Bingaman and other bill supporters likened this legislation to the GI Bill. Senator Edward Kennedy wrote, “Historians credit the GI Bill with creating the American middle class and modernizing America…It is estimated that for every dollar invested by the GI Bill, our country received seven dollars in return.
“This bill…ensure[s] that federally subsidized student loan programs put students’ interests first. The Higher Education Access Act of 2007 will provide more than $17 billion to help students and families pay for college,” he wrote.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu