WASHINGTON, DC- Today, the U.S. Department of Education informed Congress
that seven Federal Family Education Program lenders will be allowed to resume billing
for “9.5% loans," the category of student loans under which lenders are eligible to receive
an inflated 9.5% rate of return. The decision follows the completion of audits which
identified that the seven lenders hold $650 million in student loans that are eligible for
the 9.5 percent subsidy. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Health,
Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, issued the following statement:
“It’s long past time for the Department of Education to end this scandal. Auditing every
lender to identify abuses of the 9.5% provision is a welcome start, but the Department
should also insist that every past taxpayer dollar inappropriately paid to the abusers be
repaid. I applaud the Department’s Inspector General for opening a new investigation
into the 9.5% loan issue, so that the lenders can be held accountable and students and
taxpayers can finally learn how much was wasted through this corrupt scheme."
