NEA President-elect, Supt. Torlakson and CA’s Educators Kick Off Degrees Not Debt Campaign - California Teachers Association

NEA President-elect, Supt. Torlakson and CA’s Educators Kick Off Degrees Not Debt Campaign - California Teachers Association:

NEA President-elect, Supt. Torlakson and CA’s Educators Kick Off Degrees Not Debt Campaign

Contacts: Staci Maiers, NEA Communications 202-270-5333 cell, smaiers@nea.org; Claudia Briggs, CTA Communications 916-296-4087 cell, cbriggs@cta.org; Becky Zoglman, CTA Communications 415-298-3504 cell, bzoglman@cta.org

Student Loan Debt Exceeds Credit Card Debt Nationwide

*** Thursday, August 21, 2014 ***

As college costs skyrocket and federal student aid lags, too many students are forced to borrow staggering amounts of money to pay for higher education. Existing student debt now exceeds $1.2 trillion and is higher than credit card debt in this country. The average student owes $29,400, but some report owing ten times as much. At these levels student debt isn’t just a burden, it’s a barrier to millions of middle-class Americans seeking college degrees and career preparation.

National Education Association President-elect Lily Eskelsen García will join California’s educators as well as Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson (in Northern CA) for two news conferences to kick off the state and national campaign, Degrees Not Debt, aimed at reducing student loan debt through loan forgiveness programs, lower-repayment plans and reinvesting in higher education so college is affordable for all. The campaign is supported by NEA, California Teachers Association, Student CTA, California Faculty Association, Community College Association and a coalition of education and community organizations.

WHEN/WHERE:   Thursday, August 21 – Events in Los Angeles and Oakland

10:00 AM  - News Conferences to Announce California and National Degrees Not Debt Campaign to reducestudent loan debt and ensure college affordability for all students

California State University-Northridge

Jerome Richfield Hall – Room 118 

18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330

3:00 PM - Degrees Not Debt News Conference with Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson and CTA President Dean E. Vogel

La Escuelita Elementary School

School auditorium

1050 2nd Avenue, Oakland, CA 94606

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The 325,000-member CTA is affiliated with the nearly 3 million-member National Education Association