Penn Hill Group’s Washington Wrap Up – January 19, 2016

A quick look at the news from last week, compiled by Penn Hill Group:

HOUSE and SENATE

Senate Democrats launched the #InTheRed campaign to raise awareness of student loan debt and college affordability. They are expected to introduce legislation to allow student borrowers to refinance high-interest student loans, increase Pell Grant awards and establish a federal and state partnership to make community college free for qualified students.

ADMINISTRATION

Rohit Chopra, former assistant director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), has begun working at the U.S. Department of Education (ED) on issues related to student loan borrowing protections and accountability.

Acting Secretary John King began an “Opportunity Across America” tour to highlight good work going on in schools and communities. The tour concludes on Friday, January 22. ED also released an outline for their plan around “Giving Every Child in America a Fair Shot at a Great Education.”

The U.S. Department of Defense has taken the University of Phoenix off of probation. This allows military members to enroll in the university using their military tuition assistance.