Jumping hurdles in the fight for Perkins.

"The battle is not over." Thus stated a recent release from the Coalition of Higher Education Assistance Organizations (COHEAO) when a House subcommittee approved a bill reauthorizing the Higher Education Act of 1965, which would continue the Perkins loan program.

The coalition insists there are more hurdles to pass to keep the Perkins Student Loan Program a vital component of financial aid packages. The Senate and President George W. Bush must also approve the bill, H.R. 609, which was enacted by the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness of the House Education and Workforce Committee.

According to COHEAO, more than 700,000 students depend on the Perkins Student Loan Program to finance their education. The program awards low-interest loans to low- and middle-income undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. In February, the president announced the elimination of the popular student loan program with the introduction of his fiscal year 2006 budget.

The president said that with the elimination of the Perkins Loan, the balance from the program could then be applied to the Pell Grant program, which has a $3.6 billion shortfall because of a 37 percent increase in the number of students receiving the grant over the last decade. Even though it now seems the Perkins program will be kept alive, Harrison Wadsworth, executive director of COHEAO, says his group has to keep the pressure on the Senate and the President. If students cannot receive the Perkins Loan, they will be subjected to applying for private loans, for which only half may be accepted. Even worse, students may resort to financing their education with credit cards, leading to more debt because of higher interest rates. He predicts needy students would not be able to attend the school of their choice or would just not attend college at all. "The ones who are hurt the most are lower-income students who don't have access to private loans and other sources."