If Congress doesn’t act swiftly, student loan interest rates face the possibility of doubling and at UCF, students are taking action against the looming deadline.
The College Democrats at the University of Central Florida are fighting to keep student student loan interest rates from doubling by pushing to pass an SGA Senate resolution and by taking the issue directly to UCF’s Congressman.
Within a few days, nearly 300 postcards were collected from students demanding that Congress keep student loan interest rates from rising to 6.8% from its current rate of 3.4%. A group of 10 UCF students visited Congressman John Mica’s office on June 26, 2013 and spoke about the importance of keeping student loan rates low and to remind Congressman Mica that his constituency is comprised of 60,000 students who will be voting in the next election.
“We need our government to realize that by placing a tax on students—which is what this increase will essentially amount to—they are creating an environment where the fear of debt is great enough to keep students from pursuing a degree. We are not a source of income for the government. We are students trying to get an education, find a successful job, and contribute to the economy,” College Democrats Vice President Chelsea Aldrich said.
On Thursday, the College Democrats will attempt to push a resolution to be approved through the Governmental Affairs Committee in an effort to urge Congress to block the automatic increase of interest rates on subsidized Stafford loans. The body invites students to participate by speaking in favor of the resolution during the open forum session of the SGA Senate meeting.
The mission of College Democrats at UCF is to promote the ideals and principles of the Democratic Party by educating students and encouraging participation in the democratic process, according to a press release.
