Congressional bill writers have a knack for creating confusing legislation.
Take SAFRA, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009, which is causing quite the ruckus on the ASU campus, as well as in Congress.
The bill is designed to rework the current Federal Family Education Loan program and would replace federally subsidized bank student loans by lending to students directly through the government.
Financial aid that makes higher education possible is clearly a good idea — that can be said with a resounding “duh” — and increasing support for students is one of SAFRA’s goals, according to the bill’s supporters.
The current cost analysis of the program from the Congressional Budget Office reports that the measure would save the government $67 billion through 2019. But opponents of the bill question the accuracy of that analysis.
Confused? We don’t blame you.
While we see the benefit of restructuring the program, we also think Congress should get a second opinion on the costs, maybe from some economic experts who could give us a good idea of what its fallout will look like. At a time of such financial insecurity, the price of such a large-scale overhaul definitely merits a second glance.
Student advocacy groups have very quickly and enthusiastically pushed for the bill’s passage — on ASU’s Tempe campus there has been an explosion of “Raising Pell Week of Action” signs, sponsored by the Arizona Students’ Association, which is planning on campaigning for SAFRA awareness all week.
Sure, the idea of legislation that could make students’ financial lives a little easier is exciting. But honestly, how well informed is anyone at ASU or even beyond that on the actual ramifications of such a bill?
The problem is, like with most Congressional bills that have a large impact on the future of the nation, very few people have a complete grasp on what will actually happen when the legislation is enacted.
Members of Congress are unlikely to have read the entire text of the bill and can’t possibly be expected to foresee the entirety of its consequences — so how are average citizens supposed to be informed on how SAFRA will affect them?
Catchphrases and buzzwords regarding financial aid are obviously appealing to students (after all, they were designed that way), but jumping on a moving bandwagon can be dangerous, especially if you don’t know where it’s headed.
While the state of national student loans is undecided, at ASU we should feel fortunate for the fiscal responsibility the University has shown toward student aid.
ASU President Michael Crow said in a meeting with the State Press editorial board that the University is making great strides toward access and affordability for all qualified applicants.
“We have among the lowest average debt for in-state students graduating from this institution of any institution in the country of our class,” he said.
In many ways, increasing aid for education nationally can serve to benefit the country as a whole. But confusing legislation needs to be understood, and the costs need to at least be double-checked. When our national economy hovers on the brink of devastation, massive undertakings like SAFRA should not be undertaken lightly.
