By Ryan Fournier
“We’ve got an enormous student-debt problem in this country,” said Derek Kilmer, United States rep., at a “Town Hall” meeting at Peninsula College on April 4.
“The average student-loan balance for the class of 2016 was over $37,000.”
The meeting was advertised as a student event by the Associated Student Council, but most of the attendees were non-student community members.
“Personally, I’m a little disappointed more people didn’t come,” said Kelly Kevershan, ASC president. “It’s just our job to give them the opportunity to go, so we’re gonna keep doing it,” she said of
presentations in general.
“I geared a lot of this toward students, so forgive
me if it’s overwhelmingly about college education stuff,” the Democratic congressman said.
Kilmer tied education to employment opportunity and increased wages. He also said high- school dropouts make up 17% of Washington’s population, but 55% of the prison population.
He said he plans to introduce legislation soon that would provide federal support for school districts that provide career and technical-training programs, and form “industry partnerships.”
Kilmer spoke in support of Pell Grants, but also federal student loans. He said he supports the loans because they’re some of the few that don’t require payment or accrue interest until a student is done with school.
His voting record can be viewed at https:// kilmer.house.gov/issues/voting-record