(TRENTON) – Assemblywoman Mila Jasey (D-Essex/Morris) released the following statement on today’s Joint Senate and Assembly Higher Education Committee Hearing on state approaches to post-secondary education funding:
“College affordability is a current national issue, and that is certainly the case in New Jersey as well. It is important for us to gather as much information as possible and learn from other states that have implemented successful practices to achieve college affordability.
“The dialogue we had today with Dr. Zakiya Smith Ellis, Secretary of Higher Education; Kate Shaw, President of Research for Action; Tiffany Jones, Director of Policy at Education Trust and Martha Snyder, Senior Associate at HCM Strategies was informative and aids in us taking action.
“Today, the Assembly Higher Education Committee also advanced legislation I sponsored with Assemblyman Gary Schaer to ease the burden on students who take out loans to pay for college. The bill (A4475) establishes repayment assistance programs for NLCASS loan borrowers.
“It’s simple: students in New Jersey should be able to go to the college of their choice and not be burdened with debt that carries them well into adulthood. Getting to college, academically, can be difficult – paying for it should not be.”