When Jeff first took on the challenge of running for the Oregon State Legislature, one of the reasons was because he wanted to build a better education system for his young children. And as the first in his family to go to college, Jeff knows that affordable access to higher education is critical to the success of the middle class.
Education is a major factor in determining whether our children and our nation succeed in today’s increasingly competitive global economy. As a country, we need to do a better job of supporting teachers, giving them the resources they need to provide the best possible environment for teaching our children, and ensuring that no capable student has to give up his or her dreams of higher education because of a lack of affordability.
Wyden, Merkley Join Legislation to Expand Pell Grant Awards and Make Higher Education More Accessible
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced today they’ve co-sponsored legislation that would nearly double the Pell Grant maximum award, index the maximum award for inflation, and make other changes to expand the award for working students and families. The Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act
Wyden, Merkley Press Navient to Cancel Loans of Borrowers Scammed by Fraudulent, For-Profit Colleges and Servicer Misconduct
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined seven colleagues in urging student loan servicer Navient to cancel decades-old private student loans pushed onto borrowers attending fraudulent, for-profit colleges. “We write to urge the Navient Corporation to cancel the decades-old, predatory student loans
Merkley Announces Start of Service Academy Nomination Process for Class Of 2029
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley launched the process of nominating young Oregonians to the United States Air Force Academy, the United States Merchant Marine Academy, the United States Military Academy at West Point, and the United States Naval Academy, for an appointment to the Class of 2029. “It
Senator Merkley, Whip Clark Reintroduce Legislation to Put Mental Health Care in Reach for Every Student in America
Washington, D.C. – During Mental Health Awareness Month, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-05) announced the reintroduction of the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act, legislation that would greatly boost the availability of mental health providers in America’s public schools. Mental illness affects 20% of
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Call to Strengthen Federal Pell Grant Program
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined Senate colleagues in calling on the Senate Appropriations Committee to secure funding for the Pell Grant program for Fiscal Year 2025. In the letter, the senators request a discretionary increase to the award as Congress works towards doubling the Pell
Merkley, Wyden Join Senate Colleagues In Urging Dept. of Education to Hold Student Loan Servicer MOHELA Accountable for Its Failures
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined a coalition of Senators led by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in a letter to the U.S. Department of Education (ED) urging the agency to hold student loan servicer MOHELA accountable for its failures. The letter comes after