WATERBURY, Conn. – Today, United States Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05) released the following statement after the Department of Education announced it would cancel student debt for more than 1,500 students defrauded by two for-profit schools, following extensive prompting by the House Committee on Education & Labor:
“While the Department of Education’s decision to forgive student debt for defrauded Dream School students is a welcome step, it is one that is too little, too late. Thousands of young men and women around the country who were victimized by for-profit colleges are being crushed by student debt and are in desperate need of assistance from the federal government. Far too often, these are veterans, first-generation college students, and people of color. While my Pell Grant Restoration Act legislation would help to address this critical problem, the Department of Education must act to support victims of for-profit colleges. I urge Secretary DeVos to take immediate action today to relieve the burdens faced by victims of for-profit colleges, including thousands of Connecticut residents.”
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**Click here to learn more about the Pell Grant Restoration Act
Rep. Jahana Hayes has been a public school teacher in Connecticut for more than 15 years and was recognized in 2016 as the National Teacher of the Year. Currently serving her first term in the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Hayes sits on the Committees on Education & Labor and Agriculture and proudly represents Connecticut’s 5th District.