Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act will greatly help students

The recent article “”Federal government takeover of college loan pool in works”” (Nov. 3. Mara Rose Williams, McClatchy Newspapers) presents some of what is going to happen if the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (H.R. 3221) is passed. However, the article paints a horrible picture as to what will truly happen. It is true that loans will cause debt regardless of where they are from, but loans from private sources are very risky and often high-interest. The simple truth is that the Federal Family Education Loan Program is going to be eliminated and either the $87 billion in federal subsidies that went to the program will be absorbed into the national debt or, with the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, it can go to the students.

The bill will greatly aid in making higher education affordable and accessible to many students by increasing financial aid. The money would be put directly towards the Pell Grant ($40 billion of it), Perkins Loan and other student-friendly aid. It will also simplify the already complex FAFSA, promote outreach and retention programs, and invest towards community college development. The best part is that this will all be achieved at no new cost to taxpayers! As a matter of fact, it will save taxpayers, because the FFELP has consistently been found to be more expensive to taxpayers than the direct lending, since it uses subsidies and loan guarantees to persuade loan companies to act as middlemen. This instability will be resolved with the passing of SAFRA.

The bill has so far been passed, 253-171, in the House of Representatives on Sept. 17th but it still needs to pass in the Senate. As a student at the University of Arizona who does receives financial aid and will graduate with an anticipated $20,000 amount of debt I would be a fool not to see that SAFRA gets passed. In fact every student should urge senators John McCain and Jon Kyl to support the bill in order to get it passed. The only reason I see that someone might have a problem with the bill is that they are either part of the private loan industry, rich and don’t need financial aid, not a student, or they are a student who has just been getting the wrong and biased information. The bill can be accessed in its entirety online and anyone can see the original words and what it proposes. It is time that student apathy dies and we reclaim higher education! See the true facts and urge Senators John McCain and Jon Kyl to support the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (H.R. 3221).

Sean Assad

Political science and history sophomore

UAPD proven to be highly incompetent

Hats off to the UAPD for failing to do their job — again. Their unparalleled ability to distribute exorbitant parking tickets, fine stop-sign runners and hunt the chalk-wielding dissidents of the university administration does not seem to carry over to their detective work in the newspaper theft case, and their apathy toward this blatant and expensive criminal act against the Daily Wildcat is disgusting. They may or may not keep us students safe — I leave that judgment to the ladies who walk the campus grounds at night — but they have proven themselves pathetic crime busters.

Kevin Keys