The U.S. House Education and Labor Committee unanimously approved a measure last week aimed at helping to keep problems in the shaky credit markets from affecting the availability of college loans. The bill would increase the amount students may borrow in federally subsidized loans, in part to keep students from having to turn to private lenders, who might not be able to offer them favorable terms.
The measure would permit students who are dependent on their parents to borrow up to $31,000 over the course of their education, up from $23,000 under current law. The bill would also give parents extra time to repay federal PLUS loans and make it easier for parents who are delinquent on their mortgages to get a PLUS loan.
