February 21, 2006

It is time to launch our first grassroots action of 2006! NOW is a critical time for action not only to save the Perkins Program, but also to keep it healthy.

The call to action:

1. Write the Senators and House of Representatives members in your state. Tell them to fund the Federal Capital Contribution at $100 million, fund the Loan Cancellation account at $120 million and reject any proposals that eliminate the Perkins Loan Program. Use the COHEAO website or email or fax your letters and let the COHEAO office know what you’ve done. Click here for letters.
2. Use whatever means are available to you to encourage students and their parents and alumni to write in support of the Perkins Loan program. Don’t forget your friends, families and colleagues…every letter helps.

Ideas:

• Get the student government involved and set up a table at the student union or other appropriate place. Have letters ready to sign, or set up a few laptops with internet connections to send letters via the COHEAO web site.
• Insert a request to write in an email communication to students and to parents.
• Get the alumni involved. Ask past Perkins borrowers to send letters to their members of Congress. Give them a link to the COHEAO web site or include a draft letter for them to send.

The COHEAO web site has been updated with new letters for schools, students, parents and others. The “CapWiz” function allows anyone to easily find their representatives and senators, and letters are available to download – even better – and personalize for sending. Also, the letters are attached to this email. The COHEAO grassroots captains are available to help – call on them.

Legislative Background Information:

1. President Bush in his budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2007 again proposed to end Perkins Loans with a three pronged attack. No funding for loan cancellations, no funds for the Federal Capital Contribution and forcing schools to send the money in their revolving funds to the federal government.
2. Congress has still not completed the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. It is not known when this will take place, although possibly in the spring. We believe that Congress intends to reauthorize (need an easy explanation) the program, but that has not yet happened.
3. The best statement that Congress can make in the meantime is to continue funding for Perkins Loans. That means they need to fund loan cancellations, which was partially done this year, and they need to restore funding for the Federal Capital Contribution, which has not been funded in two years. Our immediate call to action is to ask for this funding. It’s very important this year to act quickly.

Andrew Stringer
Legislative Associate
Washington Partners, LLC
(P) 202-289-3903
(F) 202-371-0197
astringer@wpllc.net