Chase Castle

Iowa City Press-Citizen

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Bruce Braley on Monday met with a group of University of Iowa students to discuss college affordability, including plans to expand the Federal Pell Grant program, which provides need-based grants to low-income college students.

About two dozen students and some parents attended the forum at the Iowa Memorial Union, where U.S. Rep. Braley also reiterated support for a proposal introduced last week that would to allow more students to refinance federally insured student loans.

Braley, who will face Republican Joni Ernst in the general election Nov. 4, said students with federally insured loans to date are prohibited from refinancing those loans at a lower rate in order to decrease interest.

"I think we can change that policy," Braley said. "If a better rate comes along, just like if you are buying a house and you get better rate on your mortgage, you can refinance it if you consider all the costs of taking out a new loan and it's a better deal for you."

Braley introduced legislation last week proposing to let students refinance their loans at below-market rates as part of a newly-unveiled "College Affordability Plan," which also proposed a permanent tax credit for college students that would increase with inflation and a grant program for current college students "facing financial hardship."

At the meeting Monday, Braley criticized Ernst for statements calling for the closure of the U.S. Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency; at a primary debate in April, Ernst said closing the two federal departments could help fund repairs for national roads and transportation systems.

The Braley campaign said more than 111,000 students in Iowa received almost $359 million in Pell Grants through the Deparment of Education during the last school year.

In response to Braley's criticism over the comments Ernst made in April, a spokesperson for Ernst previously said she "wants education standards and policies for Iowa students made here at home, by Iowa's parents and teachers, not by money-wasting bureaucrats in Washington."

Tristan Boyd, 18, a freshman at University of Iowa from San Francisco, attended the event Monday.

He said his father went returned to active duty in Army in order to qualify him for the GI bill, which covers about half of his UI tuition. However, his father's own financial hardships could prompt the loss of those benefits.

"He's thought about taking the GI bill away from me, which would mean I'd have to come up with a lot more money as an out-of-state student, doubling my tuition," Boyd said. "So my mother and I would have to pay a lot more money and it'd be really difficult."

Following Monday's event, Jahan Wilcox of the Republican Party of Iowa issued a written statement questioning Braley's economic platform.

"Congressman Braley is once again turning to controlled events," Wilcox said. "Students should be wary of Congressman Braley, given that many recent graduates are underemployed because his support of job-killing regulations and higher taxes."

Reach Chase Castle at ccastle@press-citizen.com or 887-5412.