(Washington, D.C.) - Hours before the Perkins Loan Program is set to expire, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee released the following statement on the Senate’s failure to move forward on a bipartisan one-year extension of the program. A bill to extend the program, which provides low-interest loans to help students with financial need pay for postsecondary education, passed the House of Representatives this week, but the bipartisan effort to extend the program was blocked in the Senate. In Washington state, more than 15,000 students received Perkins Loans last year, but without an extension new students would not have access to that financial aid option.
“In Congress, we should be doing everything we can to provide students with more support to manage college costs, not less, so I am extremely disappointed that the Senate has not acted to extend the Perkins Loan Program." said Senator Murray. “For many students, including 15,000 in Washington state last year, Perkins Loans have been a critical tool, providing a low-cost, flexible option to help pay for college. It is unfortunate that new students could face uncertainty this year by letting this program lapse. As we work in Congress to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, I’m going to be fighting to help more students gain a foothold into the middle class, and to ensure students have the financial aid tools they need."
Yesterday, Senator Murray delivered remarks on the Senate floor, urging an extension of the program.
Breakdown of students in Washington state receiving Perkins Loans:
School
State
Zip Code
School Type
Recipients
Disbursements
University of Washington - Seattle
WA
98195-1122
Public
4,698
$ 10,379,139.00
Washington State University
WA
99164-1035
Public
2,689
$ 2,643,975.00
Gonzaga University
WA
99258-0083
Private/Non-Profit
909
$ 2,560,011.00
Pacific Lutheran University
WA
98447-0003
Private/Non-Profit
896
$ 2,256,404.00
Western Washington University
WA
98225-5946
Public
845
$ 1,417,205.00
University of Puget Sound
WA
98416-0001
Private/Non-Profit
731
$ 1,203,767.00
Seattle Pacific University
WA
98119-1997
Private/Non-Profit
703
$ 1,158,156.00
Central Washington University
WA
98926-7501
Public
541
$ 1,089,362.00
Eastern Washington University
WA
99004-2444
Public
589
$ 982,262.00
Evergreen State College (The)
WA
98505-0002
Public
639
$ 869,540.00
Seattle University
WA
98122-1090
Private/Non-Profit
516
$ 778,685.00
Whitworth University
WA
99251-0001
Private/Non-Profit
477
$ 711,259.00
Whitman College
WA
99362-2067
Private/Non-Profit
215
$ 536,250.00
Walla Walla University
WA
99324-1198
Private/Non-Profit
187
$ 359,797.00
Cornish College of the Arts
WA
98121-4604
Private/Non-Profit
93
$ 300,000.00
Northwest University
WA
98033-7523
Private/Non-Profit
93
$ 255,364.00
Saint Martin's University
WA
98503-7500
Private/Non-Profit
93
$ 150,428.00
Walla Walla Community College
WA
99362-9267
Public
58
$ 149,808.00
Art Institute of Seattle (The)
WA
98121-1622
Proprietary
54
$ 147,484.00
Heritage University
WA
98948-9562
Private/Non-Profit
53
$ 142,897.00
Perry Technical Institute
WA
98903-1239
Private/Non-Profit
51
$ 139,750.00
Bastyr University
WA
98028-4966
Private/Non-Profit
39
$ 120,000.00
Big Bend Community College
WA
98837-3299
Public
31
$ 82,750.00
North Seattle College
WA
98103-3599
Public
9
$ 33,710.00
Total
15,209
$ 28,468,003.00
