Bossie, president of the USM student body, led a Capitol news conference on legislation calling for a 50 percent cut in the interest on student loans. Others who gave presentations were Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., and Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., chairman of their respective education committees.
"The concerns of young people and their families have helped put access to higher education on the national agenda," said Bossie, 23, a Caribou native who lives in Gray and will be the first member of his family to earn a bachelor's degree. "Now the Congress needs to make college more affordable."
Congress last year cut $12 billion in federal student aid while loan rates increased last June from 5.3 percent to 6.8 percent, lawmakers said.
House legislation would reduce the interest on student loans from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent over five years. The same legislation would increase the maximum Pell grant for needy students from $4,050 to $5,100. A vote is expected on Wednesday. "It's an investment in the future," Miller said.
