Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Education
Durbin, Brown Caution Purdue University Amid Bid To Purchase Predatory For-Profit College
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today cautioned Purdue University President Mitch Daniels of Kaplan University's shameful record as part of a for-profit college industry that has become known for systemic fraud and predatory practices. In a letter to President Daniels, Durbin and Brown stressed that Purdue's embrace of Kaplan through their bid to purchase the for-profit giant poses major risks for Purdue's current students and the institution's reputation … Continue Reading
September 26, 2017
Durbin, Franken, King, Polis, Sinema Introduce Bicameral Legislation To Help Make College Textbooks More Affordable
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Al Franken (D-MN), and Angus King (I-ME) along with U.S. Representatives Jared Polis (D-CO-02) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ-09) today introduced bicameral legislation designed to help students manage costs by making high quality textbooks easily accessible to students, professors, and the public for free. This bill, known as the Affordable College Textbook Act, would create a competitive grant program to support the creation and expand the use of open … Continue Reading
September 19, 2017
Durbin Creates Ed Greelegs Scholarship Program For Illinois Students Interning in DC
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced the establishment of the Ed Greelegs Scholarship Program in honor of his former Chief of Staff who passed away in March due to complications with Parkinson's disease. This scholarship, open to students from Illinois or those studying in Illinois, is an opportunity for the students to receive financial assistance while obtaining a first-hand experience in Senator Durbin's Washington, D.C. office. "Ed knew everybody in Washington by … Continue Reading
August 03, 2017
Durbin To DeVos: Why Won't You Stand Up For Students And Hold For-Profit Colleges Accountable?
WASHINGTON-In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today slammed Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' decision to delay the implementation of the Gainful Employment (GE) rule, which requires career training programs to provide students with reasonable return on their educational investment - good-paying jobs that allow them to repay their student debt. In March, the Department of Education announced it would postpone the deadline for failing schools to … Continue Reading
August 03, 2017
Durbin, Duckworth, Shimkus To Labor Department: Golconda Job Corps Closure Should Be Temporary
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representative John Shimkus (R-IL-15) today urged the Department of Labor (DOL) to work with the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service to reopen the Golconda Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center in a safe and timely manner. "Job Corps programs are responsible for providing disconnected young people with a safe environment to develop vocational skills and further their education. Centers … Continue Reading
July 27, 2017
Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Mentoring To Succeed Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today introduced the Mentoring to Succeed Act, legislation that builds on their efforts to reduce gun violence in Chicago and across the nation. Specifically, the Mentoring to Succeed Act helps address the crisis facing at-risk students by: Creating a grant program to help school districts, schools, and local governments establish, expand, or support school-based mentoring programs to help at-risk students … Continue Reading
July 24, 2017
Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Servicemember Student Loan Affordability Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today introduced the Servicemember Student Loan Affordability Act to fix a provision in the federal law that unintentionally discourages members of the military from consolidating or refinancing pre-service student loans and taking full advantage of all student benefits provided to servicemembers. "Loan refinancing and consolidation is a practical, effective way to manage student loan debt," said Durbin. "Congress did … Continue Reading
July 05, 2017
Durbin, Bipartisan Senators Introduce Bill To Protect Veterans' Education Benefits
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) in introducing bipartisan legislation that would provide relief to veterans whose Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits are affected by the permanent closure of certain educational institutions. In 2016, ITT Tech filed for bankruptcy and closed all 136 campuses in 38 states - after receiving $917 million in Post-9/11 GI Bill funds - leaving student veterans stranded and unable to … Continue Reading
June 30, 2017
Members Of Congress To Secretary DeVos: Stand Up For Students And Families, Reverse Delay Of Protections For Defrauded Students
WASHINGTON - Led by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Representatives Bobby Scott (D-VA), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Susan Davis (D-CA), and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), 48 Members of Congress sent a letter to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos slamming her recent decision to delay the "borrower defense" rule that would provide defrauded students with debt relief and hold predatory institutions accountable for cheating students … Continue Reading
June 27, 2017
Durbin, Senate Democrats Blast Secretary DeVos For Harmful Actions On Civil Rights Protections, Enforcement
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and 32 other Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary Betsy DeVos citing major concerns with steps the U.S. Department of Education has taken under her leadership to diminish civil rights enforcement for students across the country. The senators highlight a number of alarming steps Secretary DeVos has taken, including hosting events with anti-LGBTQ hate groups, proposing to slash the budget of the Office … Continue Reading
June 23, 2017
Durbin, Senators Call For Review By Accreditors Of EDMC's Sale Of For-Profit Colleges
WASHINGTON - In a letter to the heads of several regional college accreditors, Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) called for close scrutiny of the proposed sale of the Education Management Corporation's (EDMC) for-profit college chains to The Dream Center Foundation. The proposed sale would allow EDMC's schools, including Argosy University, South University, and the Art Institutes - … Continue Reading
May 26, 2017
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $1.1 Million for Early Head Start Program at Children's Home and Aid Society of Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Administration for Children and Families has awarded a total of $1,104,542 to support the Early Head Start program at the Children's Home and Aid Society of Illinois. "This funding will help level the playing field for thousands of families across Illinois thanks to the dedication and hard work of the staff at the Children's Home and Aid Society … Continue Reading
May 25, 2017
Durbin, Senators Reintroduce Legislation to Help Students Burdened by Debt
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Al Franken (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) reintroduced legislation to help address America's student debt crisis. The Fairness for Struggling Students Act would once again allow privately issued student loans to be discharged in bankruptcy, giving them the same treatment as nearly all other … Continue Reading
May 17, 2017
Senators Call for Answers on Stalled Student Debt Relief
WASHINGTON - Following reports that the Trump Administration has stopped granting relief to student loan borrowers defrauded by for-profit colleges, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) demanded answers regarding the delay of payment on tens of thousands of student loan discharges and refunds approved under the "borrower defense" authority. On January 13th, the U.S. Department of Education announced that … Continue Reading
May 01, 2017
Durbin, Madigan: In First 100 Days Trump, DeVos get "F" on Protecting Students
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan today discussed how, since President Trump took office, the U.S. Department of Education has delayed or ignored several Obama-era rules to increase consumer protections in student loan servicing and protect students from unscrupulous for-profit colleges. In its first 100 days the Trump Administration has drastically slowed the processing of loan discharge applications from students defrauded by for-profit … Continue Reading
April 27, 2017
Durbin Joins Call for Education Secretary DeVos to Reinstate Student Loan Protections
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined more than 130 Members of Congress calling for Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to reverse a decision to rescind Obama-era memos on student loan servicing reforms. The reforms had included new consumer protections for borrowers and improvements to the quality of federal loan servicing. "Your decision to rescind these memos-including the guidance making servicers' past performance and record of compliance with the law the most important … Continue Reading
April 12, 2017
Durbin Enlists High School Principals, Counselors, Teachers to Sound the Alarm on For-Profit Colleges
CHICAGO - With high school seniors making decisions about their educational futures, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) is enlisting the help of Illinois high school principals, counselors, and teachers to warn college-bound students and their families about the risks of enrolling in a for-profit college. In a letter, Durbin calls on educators to give students "honest and accurate information" to counter the barrage of flashy, often deceptive marketing from for-profits. "Students who attend … Continue Reading
April 07, 2017
Durbin, Cassidy, Burgess, Cummings Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation To Improve Accountability Of Foreign Medical Schools Receiving Federal Student Aid
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) joined U.S. Representatives Michael Burgess (R-TX) and Elijah Cummings (D-MD) to reintroduce bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would protect students and taxpayers by closing a loophole that gives special treatment to a small number of overseas medical schools. The Foreign Medical School Accountability Fairness Act would require all medical schools outside of the U.S. and Canada to meet the same minimum requirements to … Continue Reading
March 31, 2017
Durbin: Trump's Proposed Budget Would Eliminate After-School Programs for Thousands of Chicago Kids
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited a Chicago elementary school that would lose funding under President Trump's proposed budget cuts to after-school programs. Chicago Public Schools' (CPS) after-school programs depend on federal funding from the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program, which is the only federal funding source dedicated to after-school enrichment at low-income schools. President Trump's budget proposes to eliminate the 21st CCLC program, … Continue Reading
March 27, 2017
Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $20 Million for Head Start Programs in Illinois
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Administration for Children and Families has awarded a total of $20,356,447 to support Head Start and Early Head Start programs throughout Illinois. "This funding will help level the playing field for thousands of families in more than 25 counties across Illinois by promoting healthy development and school readiness for kindergarten and elementary … Continue Reading