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DC DIGEST |
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D.C. Digest Compiled by Seán O’Donoghue Internships These enthusiastic, hard-working students were all of great service to my office individuals and have bright futures ahead of them. It always warms my heart to see young people take such an avid interest in public service. I am amazed to see how much they learn and accomplish, in only a few short weeks. While I am sad to see my 2008 Summer interns go, I am pleased to announce that I am once again seeking applications for fall internships in my Washington, DC office. I strongly urge any interested current college student to apply. In the real world, nothing beats experience. Inter-nships are a great opportunity for young West Virginians who are interested in public policy, government, or public service to get hands-on experience in the federal legislative process. In addition to an inside look at the goings-on of a busy Congressional office, interns will learn how my staff works to meet the needs of southern West Virginia. In Washington, interns are exposed to a wide range of activities in a Congr-essional office. Duties include, but are not limited to: assisting legislative staff with a variety of projects, conducting tours of the United States Capitol, database maintenance, answering phones, sorting and logging mail, and constituent services. Interns will have the opportunity to attend Committee hearings and briefings on issues of their choice and are greatly encouraged to learn as much as possible about the legislative branch of our Federal Government. Candidates should possess outstanding written and oral communication skills, strong interpersonal skills, and work well in a team environment. Internships are unpaid and can be either full or part-time. Academic credit is available. Rockefeller on higher education
From Sen. Jay RockefellerAs President of West Virginia Wesleyan years ago, I saw first hand, that given the opportunity, college students will perform at the highest degree. With students at colleges and universities across our state heading back to campus, I know they’re ready to work. And I have every confidence that they’ll do what it takes to reach their dreams. Our job in Congress should be to give any student who wants to, the opportunity to go and graduate from college. In West Virginia, we have done a good job providing those in high school the chance to pursue higher education, but the time has come to do even more to make it affordable for students and their families. Tuition rates have steadily increased and our nation’s financial aid programs have failed to keep up – causing college students to graduate with far more debt than ever before. In West Virginia, the cost of a college education has increased at least 30 percent since the 2000-2001 school year, while the median family income has increased by only 13 percent. And the costs of daily expenses are rapidly rising as well – from gas and groceries, to housing and school supplies. Compounding the problem, the percentage of higher education that is paid for with grants, as opposed to loans, has decreased significantly: from 77 percent in 1975-1976 to just 20 percent in 2004-2005. The good news is, that this past July, we reauthorized the Higher Education Act, which modernizes the financial aid system. It revitalizes Title IV loans, including Pell Grants, which help more than 35,000 West Virginia students attend college. That’s a value of $92 million each year for our students. The Act will invest $20 billion to improve Pell Grants. Per student, the grant amount will increase approximately $500 next year, and in 2012, the maximum Pell Grant should be $5,400. These improvements will allow more low-income students to have the opportunity to get a college degree that might otherwise have been out of their reach. The legislation also includes protections for students by giving them greater access to information about their student loans and requiring loan providers to be up front about terms and rates. It will reduce interest rates on federal student loans, allowing students to graduate from college with less debt and on a more stable financial foundation. And it even addresses the rising cost of textbooks with balanced provisions to disclose prices. Another important piece of this legislation increases funding for TRIO programs – which are educational opportunity outreach programs designed to motivate and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds. West Virginia has 30 TRIO programs with more than 8,000 students. This legislation allows our state’s dedicated TRIO counselors to focus on tutoring, college exam preparation and assisting students with financial aid applications. |
Vol. 91 No. 31
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