VOA慢速英语2010-Education Report - New US Law Cuts Out Pr

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

Today we talk more about the costs of higher education in the United States. If you missed last week's report, you can find it at voaspecialenglish.com.

Foreign students who need financial aid generally have to seek it from the school itself or their own government or employer.

If you follow the news, then you know that President Obama recently signed health care reform legislation. But one of the two bills he signed into law also made unrelated changes in the federal student loan program.

These changes will require new loans to come directly from the Department of Education. The department already makes these federally guaranteed loans for American citizens and permanent legal residents.

But since nineteen ninety-three it has also paid private lenders to provide them. Now, as of July first, all new loans will go though the direct loan program only.

Officials say the new law will save the government sixty-one billion dollars over ten years. The plan is to use more than half the savings¹ to provide more federal Pell Grants to needy² students. A few billion will also go to schools that traditionally serve minorities and to help two-year community colleges.

Foreign students have fewer options for financial aid than American students

David Baime is a senior vice³ president of the American Association of Community Colleges.

DAVID BAIME: "Everybody in higher education benefits from almost all of this bill."

The new law will reduce the most that borrowers must repay each year from fifteen percent of their income to ten percent. And the longest repayment⁴ period will be shortened from twenty-five years. Any remaining debt will be forgiven after twenty years -- or ten if borrowers enter public service.

Supporters in higher education said the final bill did not go far enough. Republican opponents called it an unnecessary government takeover of a private industry. Another criticism was that the financial services industry could lose about thirty thousand jobs.

The Department of Education reported last year that about two-thirds of graduates from four-year colleges had student loan debt. The average was about twenty-three thousand dollars.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. You can discuss education and other subjects on our Facebook page at VOA Learning English. And you can find transcripts⁵ and podcasts at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

　
 

1 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

2 needy   

adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的

参考例句：

• Although he was poor,he was quite generous to his needy friends.他虽穷，但对贫苦的朋友很慷慨。
• They awarded scholarships to needy students.他们给贫苦学生颁发奖学金。

3 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

4 repayment   

n.偿还，偿还款；报酬

参考例句：

• I am entitled to a repayment for the damaged goods.我有权利索取货物损坏赔偿金。
• The tax authorities have been harrying her for repayment.税务局一直在催她补交税款。

5 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句