Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Education
GAO Report Requested by Durbin, Members Highlights Need for Better Oversight of For-Profit Colleges
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Patty Murray (D-WA), and U.S. Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA-03) announced today the release of a Government Accountability Office report that they requested into for-profit college conversions - the process used by some for-profit colleges to become nonprofit, changing both their tax filing status and level of higher education accountability requirements applied to the institution. You can read the report here. The … Continue Reading
January 12, 2021
Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Pandemic, For-Profit Colleges with Dr. Miguel Cardona, Biden Nominee for Secretary of Education
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Dr. Miguel Cardona, President-elect Joe Biden's nominee for Secretary of Education. During their Zoom call, Durbin and Cardona discussed how teacher shortages in Illinois and around the country have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and how Durbin's RETAIN Act would incentivize teacher retention by providing a fully refundable tax credit for teachers, paraprofessionals, mental health providers, and school leaders in Title I … Continue Reading
December 23, 2020
Durbin, King, Smith, Sinema Secure $7 Million for Competitive Grants Supporting Open Textbooks in Year-End Funding Bill
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Angus King (I-ME), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) today applauded the inclusion of $7 million in additional funding for the continued implementation of the Open Textbooks Pilot in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 appropriations bill. The Open Textbooks Pilot, based on the Senators' Affordable College Textbook Act, is a competitive grant program to support the creation and expand the use of open college textbooks-textbooks that are available … Continue Reading
December 02, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Announce $52 Million To Support Head Start And Early Head Start In Chicago
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced a total of $52.7 million in federal grant funding to the City of Chicago for Head Start and Early Head Start programs. The funding, awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Administration for Children and Families, will support comprehensive child development programs for low-income children from birth to age five. "Head Start and Early Head Start programs are crucial for school … Continue Reading
November 19, 2020
Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Relief for Schools with National Education Association President
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with Becky Pringle, the new president of the National Education Association (NEA), about the need for additional COVID-19 stimulus funds for education and child care. Durbin discussed his support of the Coronavirus Child Care and Education Relief Act, which would provide $430 billion to the education sector, including $50 billion in grants to child care providers. "As the nation continues to reel from this awful pandemic, our educators … Continue Reading
September 24, 2020
Durbin Statement On Leaked For-Profit College Lobbyist Email
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement after U.S. News and World Report published an email from for-profit college lobbyist Steve Gunderson to for-profit college industry leaders outlining how to continue to exploit students, veterans, and taxpayers if Democrats control Congress in 2021: "The for-profit colleges' recent strategy memo tells all. Former Republican Congressman Steve Gunderson, now President of this group, has set his sights on … Continue Reading
September 17, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Join Schumer, Warren To Introduce Resolution Calling On President To Cancel Student Loan Debt For Federal Borrowers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) today to introduce a resolution outlining a bold plan for the President of the United States to use existing authority under the Higher Education Act to cancel up to $50,000 in Federal student loan debt for Federal student loan borrowers. The resolution outlines how the President should use executive authority to cancel student loan … Continue Reading
September 14, 2020
Durbin Calls On HHS To Stop Diverting COVID-19 Tests From Illinois Schools And Fix The Shortfall In Testing Supplies
MAYWOOD - At a press conference today with Loyola University Chicago officials, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) highlighted ongoing testing challenges at schools and universities, and announced he was sending a letter to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) asking how the Trump Administration plans to rectify the shortfall in testing supplies it has created at our universities and schools after Durbin learned HHS diverted shipments of COVID-19 tests bound for … Continue Reading
August 31, 2020
Durbin Discusses Start Of New School Year During COVID-19 Pandemic With Teach For America
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with the Teach for America (TFA) Chicago-Northwest Indiana Executive Director Aneesh Sohoni about how TFA is helping Illinois school districts meet the challenges of educating during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the call, Durbin and Sohoni discussed the teacher shortage in Illinois that disproportionally impacts students from low-income backgrounds and students of color and TFA's instrumental efforts in filling these open positions to … Continue Reading
August 27, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues To Call On FCC To Bolster Lifeline Program To Keep Students Connected As The School Year Begins
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in leading a group of 22 other Senators in calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to boost its Lifeline program to keep students connected as millions return to school both virtually and in person. Since 1985, the FCC's Lifeline program has made basic internet and telephone service more affordable for low-income Americans and has had bipartisan support. "As … Continue Reading
August 13, 2020
Durbin Discusses Fall Reopening With University Of Illinois System President
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke with Tim Killeen, the President of the University of Illinois System, to discuss fall reopening plans including the University's contact tracing and testing strategies. The two also discussed the need for additional federal relief for higher education. Durbin is a cosponsor of the Coronavirus Child Care and Education Relief Act, which provides an additional $132 billion in support for institutions of higher education and … Continue Reading
August 12, 2020
Durbin Joins Colleagues Calling For Long-Term Relief For 43 Million Student Loan Borrowers Amid COVID-19
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and 16 other Senators in a letter to Senate leaders urging them to include long-term relief for millions of Americans with student loans in the next coronavirus relief package as negotiations between Senate Republicans and Democrats continue. The letter comes after the President issued an executive order that only places a three-month forbearance for some student loan borrowers, leaving nearly eight million … Continue Reading
August 12, 2020
Durbin, Brown Caution University of Arizona On Its Bid To Purchase Predatory For-Profit College
SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today sent a letter to the President of the University of Arizona (UA) urging the school to take steps to protect students after it announced the purchase of Ashford University, a for-profit college that has long been the subject of numerous state and federal investigations and lawsuits for fraudulent and predatory practices. Despite a long history of troubling practices, if the transaction is consummated, Zovio - which … Continue Reading
August 05, 2020
Durbin Slams President Trump & Senate Republican Proposal Conditioning Federal Funds To Schools On Reopening In-Person
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), today during a speech on the Senate floor, slammed President Trump and Senate Republicans for attempting to condition education funds in the next coronavirus relief package on the reopening of elementary and secondary schools for in-person instruction. Durbin instead urged his colleagues to pass the Coronavirus Child Care and Education Relief Act, which provides $175 billion to elementary and secondary schools to help meet technology, cleaning, … Continue Reading
August 03, 2020
Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Bill To Support School-Based Mentoring Programs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today introduced the Mentoring to Succeed Act, legislation that increases support for school-based mentoring programs in order to help at-risk youth thrive in their schools, careers, and life. The bill would invest in mentoring programs that help students overcome adversity and trauma and develop the workforce skills employers are seeking. Specifically, the Mentoring to Succeed Act would establish a five-year, … Continue Reading
July 31, 2020
Durbin Calls For Resignation Of Principal Deputy Under Secretary Of Education Diane Auer Jones
WASHINGTON- Following the release of a report from the House Education and Labor Committee on its investigation into the Department of Education's handling of Dream Center Education Holding's (DCEH) accreditation misrepresentation at its Illinois Institute of Art and Colorado Art Institute campuses, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement calling for the resignation of Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Education Diane Auer Jones: "Under Secretary Jones, a … Continue Reading
July 31, 2020
Durbin, Colleagues Urge Senate To Reject Conditioning Federal Funds To Schools On Reopening In-Person
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with 29 of his Senate colleagues, today urged Senate leadership to reject the Trump Administration's desire to condition education funds in the next coronavirus relief package on the reopening of elementary and secondary schools for in-person instruction. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL), and Appropriations Vice … Continue Reading
July 29, 2020
Durbin Discusses COVID-19 Relief With Chicago State University President
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke by phone with Chicago State University President Z Scott about the next federal coronavirus relief bill. During the call, Durbin discussed key provisions in the CARES Act that offered $14 billion in funding through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund to institutions of higher education and spoke about the barriers Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos created to prevent undocumented and low-income students from receiving the emergency … Continue Reading
July 27, 2020
Durbin, Blumenthal, Brown Call For Delay Of Naciqi Review Of Higher
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH today called on the U.S. Department of Education to delay the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity's (NACIQI) review of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) currently scheduled for July 29-30. The Senators highlighted media reports that NACIQI will be reviewing a report by the Office of Postsecondary Education that alleges HLC was out of compliance with accreditation … Continue Reading
July 24, 2020
Durbin Discusses Priorities For Next Coronavirus Supplemental Legislation, Including Investments In Education And Child Care
CHICAGO - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today held a news conference at Little Village Elementary School to discuss his priorities for the next coronavirus federal relief package, including federal assistance for education and child care through the Coronavirus Child Care and Education Relief Act. The legislation addresses the national child care and education crises brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and provides relief to students, families, schools, and educators across the country. The … Continue Reading