Earlier this week, Organizing For America sent out the email below, highlighting President Obama's plan to remake the student loan system by eliminating wasteful subsidies to banks and investing the savings in America's young people. Check it, and the video from President Obama, out:


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Addisu Demissie, BarackObama.com <info@barackobama.com>
Date: Tue, May 5, 2009 at 8:32 AM
Subject: VIDEO: Students deserve better

You know how important financial assistance is for students across America who dream of a brighter future. That's why we need your help to fix a broken system.

Right now, taxpayers are paying a massive subsidy to the banks that currently make most student loans. It's a system that wastes taxpayer dollars -- money that could instead help students afford college -- while helping banks make massive profits.

That's money that we can't afford to waste, which is why President Obama wants to use it to expand Pell Grants, offer tuition tax credits, and launch college completion programs for students who need it.

<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/studentloans">Watch the President lay out his vision for a new student loans system and tell Congressional leaders that you support it.</a>

President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act already dramatically increased college affordability, providing relief to as many as 13 million families with currently enrolled students.

But President Obama's plan for federal direct lending will build on these gains and help provide steady funding to ensure that the door to college is open to every American.

The special interests -- bankers, lenders, and their lobbyists -- are lining up against this plan, and that's why I'm asking for your help.

Stand with the President now. Please contact the leaders in Congress who can make a real difference -- add your voice:

<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/StudentLoans">http://my.barackobama.com/StudentLoans</a>

Thanks,

Addisu

Addisu Demissie
Political Director
Organizing for America

P.S. -- Today is the deadline to apply for Organizing for America's ten-week summer organizing fellowship. If you are dedicated to the mission of reviving our economy, making our country the leader in clean energy, and providing health care for every American, don't miss this opportunity. No prior experience is necessary, but please hurry -- the deadline is midnight tonight, May 5th. Apply now.

By Lauren Wolfe on May 19, 2009 4:12 PM

Earlier this week, the Times published a great piece on predatory lending practices in the private student loan industry. It reveals an industry rife with tricks designed to maximize profit by withholding critical information from student borrowers.

As Gretchen Morgensen outlines, private student lenders are:

1)     Advertising loans as having terms that don’t end up in the final agreement.
2)     Hiding fees associated with servicing and collecting (until it’s time to pay, of course).
3)     And guiding students to sign promissory notes committing to pay off loans before disclosing the interest rates students will have to pay.

Markets work when consumers can make smart choices. When lenders withhold information from borrowers in order to maximize profit, they take advantage of consumers and poison the market.

We know the Obama Administration and Democrats in Congress take the issue of college affordability seriously - they already proved it with the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and in the President’s plan to end wasteful subsidies to banks and use the savings to expand college aid.

This week, President Obama and Congress are acting to curb the unfair practices of the credit card industry. Next, they should set their sights on abuses in the private student lending industry.

By Lauren Wolfe on May 19, 2009 4:04 PM

by Aarti Sheth
National Programs Director, College Democrats of America

As college students are coming back to their campuses for the spring semester, many of us are noticing that far too many of our peers' desks are empty. Their families can no longer afford to pay for college or loans are not available. The recession is forcing many colleges and universities to dramatically raise the cost of tuition in order to cover budget shortfalls while the credit crunch is making it nearly impossible for many students to obtain academic loans at a reasonable rate. Students who need to work part-time jobs on the side to afford college are now being laid-off as companies continue to make cutbacks. To add insult to injury, recent college graduates who are hoping to pay off their loans beginning within six months of graduation find an unwelcoming job market.

I myself was forced to make a hard decision this year, when my family was pressed for money with two of us in college and one more to soon join us. I tell my story in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saKazwApto4

The passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is a step in the right direction for the millions of American students and families currently struggling to make ends meet. The act, H.R. 598, created a new American Opportunity Tax Credit of up to $2,500 of the cost of college tuition and related expenses each taxable year, and expanded the Pell Grant program by $15.6 billion - raising the maximum Pell Grant award by $500 from $4,850 to $5,350. When combined, these two provisions provide up to $3,000 of direct relief - making affording college more realistic.

Additionally, President Obama's recently approved 2010 fiscal year budget makes permanent the American Opportunity Tax credit in addition to a new five-year, $2.5 billion Access and Completion Incentive Fund to support innovative state efforts to help low-income students succeed and complete their college education.

But as the economy continues to struggle, more needs to be done. Our state and local governments are facing the brunt of this recession and we can't afford to let our public colleges and universities suffer because of it. Eighty percent of college students in America attend public colleges and universities - institutions which receive the bulk of their funding from state governments. Traditionally, in times of economic hardship, institutions of higher education are the first to experience budget cuts; cutting away at many young American's dreams as the result is an increase in tuition. Given the challenges facing higher education right now, we cannot afford to go down that path again. Providing federal assistance to state governments will prevent tuition increases and allow for four-fifths of our nation's students to take their seats behind their desks.

You do not need a college graduate to tell you that the education of our citizenry is vital to the long-term health of our economy. Tomorrow's engineers, innovators and policymakers are today's college students. If Congress doesn't act to assist our students and support our state governments, then students like me will continue to be forced to cheat their college experience and one-by-one, the desks in America's institutions of higher education will forcibly be abandoned, by eager young minds of today and tomorrow.

By Lauren Wolfe on April 16, 2009 5:23 PM

Washington, DC  - The College Democrats of America (CDA) recognize the lifelong work of former Senator Claiborne Pell who passed away last week at the age of 90.  Pell was the leading force behind legislation that created "Basic Educational Opportunity Grants" in 1972 and provided direct aid to college students.  In 1980, these awards were renamed "Pell Grants."  Over the past three decades, the Pell Grant program has given $250 billion in over 108 million grants to students in need.
 
"College students and graduates in America will long remember Senator Pell and his groundbreaking work toward making college affordable for every student in this country," said Katie Naranjo, President of College Democrats of America. "His legacy can be found in the millions of students who have been able to go to school through the Pell Grant program.  President-elect Obama is carrying on Senator Pell's legacy by continuing to work to make higher education affordable for every American.  CDA and students everywhere look forward to working with the President-elect on this important issue."
 
College Democrats of America is the official youth outreach arm of the Democratic Party.
 
###

By Katie Naranjo on January 12, 2009 11:14 AM

From the Huffington Post:

by Katie Naranjo

This election year, more than ever, campaign experts and media pundits have attempted to understand the youth vote. After 21 months of trying to "understand" young voters, this 22-year-old has a few positive and optimistic pointers to provide:

The Obvious Facts

College students have and continue to increase their voter participation rates, beginning in 2002 and most recently with the 2008 primaries. Indeed, the 2008 primaries brought about a 103 percent increase in youth turnout from 2004.

Also, technology speaks to young people. Text messaging and new media platforms like Facebook and YouTube have revolutionized political campaigning -- generating a completely new method for young people to interact and discuss ideas.

Traditional pollsters don't actually poll cell phone numbers, and many young people only use cell phones -- thereby excluding them from polling samples. With young people supporting Senator Obama by a roughly 2 to 1 margin over Senator McCain, a lot of these polls are understating the views of the youth demographic.

The Obama campaign understands the importance of the youth vote. Check out Obama Campaign Manager, David Plouffe addressing College Democrats of America through a youtube message:

2008 is a Different Ball Game

The economy is in the tank and the Iraq War uniquely touches young people and our future. While John McCain offers four more years of economic hardship and war in the Middle East, Sen. Obama understands and addresses the issues important to young people. Therefore it's not surprising to see Obama Campaign Manager, David Plouffe, point to young voters as the main constituency, which drove participation in Iowa and changed the electoral outcome. Indeed, the youth vote is the only demographic (backed up by empirical date) from this cycle that can be directly correlated to a victory for Sen. Obama on Nov. 4th.

One example: Rock the Vote published polls in February with Sen. Obama beating Sen. McCain among college voters 56% to 29%. More recent polls indicate a commanding lead of 29 points for Senator Obama among young voters, and Democratic identification remains strong with a 21-point advantage.

College Democrats of America continues to engage our peers and work with the Obama campaign to turnout the youth vote. Early voting projections and streaming stories from field provide an optimistic outlook for Tuesday. Specifically in Florida (where I've been campaigning over the past few days), youth absentee and early voting is up 27% percent from 2004.

By Katie Naranjo on December 4, 2008 1:27 PM

Senator Barack Obama has an overwhelming lead over Senator John McCain when it comes to college newspaper endorsements.  According to CDA's internal tally, Senator Obama currently leads Senator McCain by a spread of 74 to 1. 

This spread is not surprising however when you consider the policies that each candidate represents.  Young people now realize that they have to pay the price of eight years of failed Bush economic policies - policies that John McCain would continue.  It’s become increasingly harder to secure loans to attend college, and the job market for college graduates is getting smaller.  Now more than ever, young people understand that we can’t afford four more years of the same; they understand that Senator Obama will bring us the change we need.

Scroll down to see our tally of newspaper endorsements:

Barack Obama: 74

• The Arizona Daily Wildcat, U. Arizona
• The Daily Bruin, UCLA
• The Daily Nexus, UC-Santa Barbara
• The New University, UC-Irvine
• The Orion, California State University - Chico
• El Vaquero, Glendale Community College
• The Daily Californian, UC-Berkeley
• The Central Florida Future, University of Central Florida
• The Stetson University Reporter, Stetson University
• The Iowa State Daily, Iowa State U.
• The Daily Eastern News, Eastern Illinois University
• The Daily Northwestern, Northwestern U.
• The Daily Illini, U. Illinois
• The Northern Star, Northern Illinois U.
• The Decaturian, Millikin University
• The Indiana Daily Student, Indiana U.
• The University Daily Kansan, University of Kansas
• The Louisville Cardinal, University of Louisville
• The Amherst Student, Amherst College
• The Berkeley Beacon, Emerson College
• The Tufts Daily, Tufts University
• The Justice, Brandeis University
• The Harvard Crimson, Harvard College
• The Tech, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• The Sophian, Smith College
• The Point News, St. Mary's College of MD
• The Bowdoin Orient, Bowdoin College
• The Bates Student, Bates College
• The Life, Central Michigan University
• The Voice, Washtenaw Community College
• The Michigan Daily, U. of Michigan
• The State News, Michigan State University
• The Michigan Journal, U. Michigan - Dearborn
• The Minnesota Daily, U. Minnesota
• The Mac Weekly, Macalester College
• The University News, St. Louis University
• The Maneater, U. Missouri
• The Davidsonian, Davidson College
• The Duke Chronicle, Duke University
• The Lamron, SUNY-Geneseo
• The Binghamton Prospect Magazine, SUNY-Binghamton
• The BU Pipe Dream, SUNY-Binghamton
• The Cardinal Points, SUNY-Plattsburgh
  
• The Chronicle, Hofstra University
• The Columbia Daily Spectator, Columbia University
• The Cornell Daily Sun, Cornell University
• The Miscellany News, Vassar College
  
• The Daily Kent Stater, Kent State University
• The Independent Collegian, U. Toledo
• The Miami Student, Miami University
• The Post, Ohio University
• The Oklahoma Daily, U. Oklahoma
• The Rocket, Slippery Rock University
• The Swarthmore Phoenix, Swarthmore College
• The Pitt News, U. Pittsburgh
• The College Reporter, Franklin & Marshall College
• The Daily Pennsylvanian, University of Pennsylvania
• The Daily Gamecock, U. South Carolina
• The Pacer, U. Tennessee-Martin
• The Optimist, Abilene Christian University
• The Daily Texan,    U of Texas - Austin
• The Et Cetera, Eastfield College
• The Daily Campus, Southern Methodist University
• The Daily Utah Chronicle, U. Utah
• The Flat Hat, College of William and Mary
• The Mace and Crown, Old Dominion University
• The Middlebury Campus, Middlebury College
• The Daily Evergreen, Washington State U.
• The Badger Herald, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• The Daily Cardinal, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• The Advance-Titan, U. Wisconsin-Oshkosh
• The Lakeland Mirror, Lakeland College
• The Parthenon, Marshall University
• The Daily Athenaeum, West Virginia U.

John McCain: 1

• The Daily Mississippian, U. Mississippi

By Katie Naranjo on November 2, 2008 8:16 PM

From the Huffington Post:

by Katie Naranjo

Young people in Florida are kind of a big deal. A native of Texas - a reliably red state - it's refreshing for me to see all the excitement surrounding our Democratic process in the hottest (literally it's a beautiful 77 degrees today in Miami) battleground state. In Miami alone, the Obama campaign is working with seven campuses, and they're mobilizing over 35 statewide! With nine dedicated full time youth vote staffers in the state, students in Florida are turning out at much higher rates than expected!

Stationed in Miami, I am working with students at the Florida International University and University of Miami. On Wednesday I began canvassing with students to get out the vote and to encourage students to volunteer on Election Day - and they are answering the call. The number of students signing up to volunteer is smashing our sign-up goals, and college campuses are turning out to vote at an even higher rate than young professionals! Indeed, early voting in Florida has been flooded with so many people that Gov. Christ extended early voting from 7AM to 7PM.

A few more encouraging trends to report: the traditional notion of Cubans voting Republican no longer is the norm, especially with young Cubans in college, and the numerous stories of students changing their parents or abuelo's (grandparent's) opinions are just one sign that Florida is not only in play, but that youth are changing the dynamics of the game.

However one problem remains prominent: early vote locations being under-staffed and lines are long. Most students relayed stories of waiting 2 to 3 hours to vote early. Nevertheless, students won't be deterred this year - not when the stakes are this high - and the Obama campaign is proactively addressing the wait by entertaining voters and having staff support available to answer questions and provide information.

Needless to say, I am no longer in Texas Toto. Young people are fired up and this year the Democrats are going to win!

By Katie Naranjo on November 1, 2008 9:25 PM

From the Huffington Post:

October 8, 2008

By Katie Naranjo on October 8, 2008 4:51 PM

From the Huffington Post:

September 12, 2008

At the College Democrats of America (CDA) Convention in Denver, young voters proved that we’re ready to change the political landscape as we know it.  Students from across the country engaged experts on issue panels ranging from the environment, faith in politics, new media to hip hop’s influence on our political culture.  Students also participated in campaign trainings directly designed to assist with preparations on college campuses for voter registration, mobilization, protection and turnout.  We know that young voters recognize the generational theme of this historic election. That’s why we left Colorado clear on our goals for November 4: Register, mobilize, turnout, and elect Sen. Obama.

Washington pundits have always written young voters off - assuming that we won’t turn out on Election Day.  But we’ve already proven why this year is different.  With Senator Obama as our voice, young people are more motivated and empowered than ever to have their votes counted. In the Democratic primaries, over 6.5 million young people voted - up over 100% from 2004.  Young people are voting overwhelmingly for Democrats, and our record-setting turnout in the Iowa Caucuses helped launch Senator Barack Obama’s victory in the Democratic primary.  College Democrats across the country are confident that the trends we’ve seen are not a fluke.  We’ve been on the frontlines of registering and organizing voters, educating our generation on the issues at stake and why this election matters.  Young people feel connected to politics again - the issues are too relevant and the times are too tough.  We know the problems and the solution. This year the youth will show up and vote for Senator Obama.



Our plans for this election are ambitious - but we have no intentions of falling short.  College Democrats will register and mobilize thousands of new student voters in key swing states across the country.   State by state, precinct by precinct, CDA’s “Precinct Project” aims at harnessing the excitement of this presidential year to maximize turnout for the entire Democratic ticket.  We want the center of attention at every student activity fair to be the voter registration table.  We want to bring the election to our peers and engage them about the issues and the candidates - from the presidency to the city council.  

But there are still serious hurdles for college students when it comes to voting rights.  Voter suppression poses a major hurdle to college students as they head for the voting booth.  Voter ID laws, a lack of ballot boxes on college campuses, and confusion regarding residency requirements prevent thousands of students from exercising their right to vote.  This has been a major concern of the College Democrats since 2000, and one we will continue to fight for in this election.  One of the highlights of our Denver convention was when students enthusiastic to put an end to voter suppression planned detailed, state-by-state education campaigns and learned how to petition their state officials and registrars of voters to obtain early voting locations on their campuses.   

If the College Democrats Convention has demonstrated anything, it’s that not only are college students valued hands on Election Day for phonebanking and canvassing, but we are a strong and increasing constituency in the Democratic Party.  We are growing, we are fired up and we are working as a unified force to elect Senator Obama and the rest of the Democratic ticket.  This year, students are turning out to the polls in record numbers - representing 25% of the primary vote - and this trend will only increase in November.  Students are here.  Students are listening to the candidates.  Students are educated on the issues. And most importantly, students recognize that in more than any time in recent history, this is a generational election. Politics is relevant to the youth again.  We now know what it feels like to be invigorated by a candidate who represents our concerns. We proved the pundits wrong in the primaries. And we’re going to prove them wrong again on November 4. Vote Obama.

By Lauren Wolfe on September 16, 2008 12:16 AM

(Cross-posted at HuffingtonPost.com)

Thanks to the Democratic Congress, today the interest rates for federal student loans will decrease 0.8 percent.

What does this mean in the real lives of students? Though President Bush has no problem spending billions in Iraq, American students can barely scrape enough money together to go to college. With college costs having skyrocketed in recent years, the average college student now graduates with $21,600.* That's not the best way to send America's best and brightest into the world. Luckily, decreasing the interest rate on student loans is one of the many ways that Democratic leaders in Congress have addressed increasing college costs.

In addition to interest rates, students will now be permitted to borrow an additional $2,000 in unsubsidized federal student loans each year. Previously students could only borrow $3,500, but this year they can borrow up to $5,500. These federal loans typically have lower fees and interest rates than private loans.

It's important that the next administration places a high priority on addressing the needs of college students who are struggling to support themselves financially. Building a well-educated workforce that isn't burdened by excessive amounts of debt is part of building a strong economy.

Senator Obama and his family know this issue well. He and his wife often talk about how they were only recently able to pay back student loans. Thanks to two recent best sellers, the Obama family is now student debt free. If running for president and writing a best-selling book or two is the only way to pay off your student debt, things are not looking good for the rest of us.

It is imperative that we make higher education accessible in this country. Today's interest rate decrease is a start. And with Barack Obama in the White House, we'll have a president who truly understands the burdens of student loans, and we'll see even more progress.

* = For a student graduating from a public university in 2006. Source: Project on Student Debt.

By Lauren Wolfe on July 7, 2008 6:17 PM