Right now, the U.S. Senate is drafting legislation that would drastically alter the student loan industry in the country. These changes would have a drastic impact on the work that organizations such as HESC perform. The legislation would end the use of third party guarantor agencies for federally subsidized student loans. The loans would come directly from the federal government and would no longer require the use of organizations such as HESC. Your action is needed! Please write to Senators Schumer and Gillibrand to tell them that HESC can still provide vital services for student loans under this proposal! Ask them to amend the legislation so HESC can continue to provide services to New York's college students, parents, and high school students for federal student loans.

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

As an employee of the Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) and a member of CSEA Local 1000, I am very concerned about the pending changes in student loan reform that would affect guaranty agencies like HESC.

While I understand that we will continue to service current Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) loans, I am concerned that the College Access and Completion Fund (CACF) in the House-passed bill will neither sustain our jobs or the important work we do to support more than 1.2 million students attending the 300 colleges and universities in New York. We assist middle and high school students and families by promoting the value of higher education and offering counseling services to finance higher education. And our work saves millions of taxpayer dollars by keeping default rates low.

I urge you to protect the important services we do by supporting additional funding for financial literacy, default aversion, and collections and specifying a portion of funds for these services during the Senate's consideration of this bill.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
September 25, 2009