President Obama Unveils New "Student Bill of Rights: Taking Action to Ensure Strong Consumer Protections for Student Loan Borrowers" & Signs Presidential Memorandum Seeking to Improve the Student Loan Process
Less than 24 hours ago, President Barack Obama unveiled his latest vision for improving higher education in the form of a new "Student Bill of Rights" focused upon "ensuring that all Americans have meaningful opportunities for a high-quality, affordable post-secondary education without the threat of unmanageable debt." Building upon four fundamental statements, the Administration uses this new proposal to reaffirm and elaborate on their fundamental higher education goals and priorities just as the GOP-controlled Congress prepares to begin its consideration of the 2015 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.

In tandem with the new "Student Bill of Rights" President Obama also used his Executive Authority to sign a separate Presidential Memorandum "directing the Department of Education and other federal agencies to work across the federal government to do more to help borrowers afford their monthly loan payments including: (1) a state-of-the-art complaint system to ensure quality service and accountability for the Department of Education, its contractors, and colleges, (2) a series of steps to help students responsibly repay their loans including help setting affordable monthly payments, and (3) new steps to analyze student debt trends and recommend legislative and regulatory changes."

A "Fact Sheet" detailing both the new "Student Bill of Rights" and directives in the Memorandum can be accessed at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/03/10/fact-sheet-student-aid-bill-rights-taking-action-ensure-strong-consumer-

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