Rep. Lloyd Doggett addresses ACC

Welcome to another semester at ACC. As I have noted to recent graduates, when I delivered my first ACC commencement speech in 1977, the entire graduating class could sit on the front ledge at Symphony Square.  This illustrates how many more students are choosing to "start here to get there."  At its current rate of growth, sometime in the not-so-distant future, the ACC student body will likely outnumber that of the University of Texas.

Lowering the Cost of Higher Ed. — Helping more students "start here" at ACC, especially in this economy, means ensuring higher education is affordable.  In 2009, when President Obama announced his economic recovery package, he invited Congress to help make his plan better. I offered a proposal to help college students that the President accepted. In the legislation Congress passed and the President signed into law, students can share in a $13 billion tax cut targeted to higher education. That is "billion" with a "b."  What does this mean for college students?  It means that for those students whose families paid up to $2,500 for tuition, textbooks and course materials last year will get the same $2,500 taken off their tax bill now, and if they don't have that much in taxes can receive up to a $1,000 refund anyway. The same is true again for expenses incurred this year for taxes owed next year. What does this mean for you?  For ACC students, this Doggett Tax credit could make the entire cost of an ACC education tax free.  Furthermore, an estimated 346,000 more Texas families, who previously received no higher education tax credit, will benefit from this new law.

I also voted to approve the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, which expands student loan programs and which contains my amendment to simplify application forms to ensure students can afford the education for which they qualify. The bill adds $40 billion for Pell Grants and $3 billion to bolster college access and increase completion rates—and all at zero cost to taxpayers.

A Boost for Green Jobs — On of my priorities has been ensuring that those pursuing higher education get the help they need to make it affordable.  In January, it was announced that ACC would receive $1 million in federal economic recovery or stimulus funds that I voted for to be used to help local students develop new skills useful in the emerging green economy—helping boost our environment, cutting our dependence on nonrenewable fuels, and eventually helping put more green in students' pockets.

Expanding Health Insurance Coverage — I have heard from many students concerned about health insurance reform.  This comes as no surprise as young adults are the most likely to be uninsured, less likely to be offered coverage through their first job, and less likely to be able to afford costly care.  I have worked to put a cap on what insurance monopolies can force you to pay in out-of-pocket expenses, co-pays, and deductibles.  I continue working to guarantee that students can remain on their parents' health insurance plan until their 27th birthday.

Please let me hear from you.  You can visit me on Facebook or my website at www.house.gov/doggett, where you can find helpful information about internship opportunities in my Austin and Washington offices.  I stand ready to assist you in matters of a federal nature. Have a safe, productive, and memorable year here at ACC and let me know what I can do to help you "get there."