Summary
Pence voted against making college more affordable:
2007: Pence Voted No On Changes To Student Loan Programs, Which Would Put A Cap On What Low-Income Borrowers Must Pay Back Monthly. According to The Indianapolis Star, “Description: In response to growing concerns about student debt, Congress made several changes to federal student loan programs, the biggest of which is a cap on what low-income borrowers must pay back each month. Voting yes: Lugar, Bayh, Visclosky, Donnelly, Buyer, Carson. Voting no: Souder, Burton, Pence.” [Indianapolis Star, 12/30/07]
Pence Voted To Eliminate Student Loan Subsidies Leading To Increased Interest Rates
| Year | Bill |
| 2012 | House Vote 151, 3/16/12; House Budget Committee, 5/20/12; New Republic, 4/27/12; Congressional Actions, H.Con.Res. 112 |
| 2012 | House Vote 149, 3/29/12; Republican Study Committee, 3/12 |
| 2011 | House Vote 275, 4/15/11; Republican Study Committee, 4/7/11; Huffington Post, 4/15/11 |
| 2005 | House Vote 670, 12/19/05; Congressional Quarterly, 12/19/05; Congressional Actions, S. 1932 |
| 2012 | House Vote 150, 3/29/12; House Budget Committee Democrats, 3/28/12 |
| 2010 | House Vote 194, 3/25/10; Congressional Quarterly, 3/25/10; Congressional Actions, H.R. 4872; Congressional Quarterly, 12/27/10 |
| 2010 | House Vote 167, 3/21/10; Congressional Quarterly, 3/21/10; Congressional Actions, H.R. 4872; Congressional Quarterly, 12/27/10 |
2009: Pence Voted Against Terminating Subsidies For Student Loans From Private Banks And Use The Savings To Increase Pell Grants And Cap Student Loan Interest Rates. In September 2009, Pence voted against a bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly, would have “terminate[d] the authority of the Federal Family Education Loan program to make or insure new loans after June 30, 2010, and direct[ed] the federal government to originate student loans. The legislation would [have] provide[d] for a competitive bidding process for entities to service the loans. The bill would [have] ma[d]e several modifications to education programs, including increasing funding for Pell grants, early-childhood education and community colleges. As amended, it would [have] bar[red] federal agreements from being entered into with certain organizations, including the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN).” The House passed the bill by a vote of 253 to 171. The bill was then sent to the Senate, which took no further substantive action on it. [House Vote 719, 9/17/09; Congressional Quarterly, 9/17/09; Congressional Actions, H.R. 3221]
2007: Pence Voted Against Increasing Aid For Students And College Graduates By Taking Funds From Subsidies To Loan Providers. In September 2007, Pence voted against a bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly, “cut government subsidies to student loan firms by about $20 billion and redirect[ed] most of the money to aid for students and college graduates. It [] also include[d] $750 million in federal budget deficit reduction. The maximum Pell grant award would be increased by $490 in 2008 and by $1,090 over five years. It [] provide[d] debt forgiveness to certain public sector workers after 10 years of service. The bill also [] cap[ped] student loan repayments at 15 percent of discretionary income.” Congressional Quarterly reported elsewhere that “[t]he measure cuts interest rates in half for students with subsidized student loans. It reduces interest rates to 6% on July 1, 2008, 5.6% on July 1, 2009, 4.5% on July 1, 2010, and 3.4% on July 1, 2011.” The House adopted the conference report on the bill by a vote of 292 to 97. Since the Senate had already approved the conference report, the bill was then sent to the president, who signed it into law. [House Vote 864, 9/7/07; Congressional Quarterly, 9/7/07; Congressional Actions, H.R. 2669]
2008: Pence Voted Against Creating A Student Loan Forgiveness Program Of $2,000 Annually For Five Years For Certain Nurses, Early Childhood Educators And Librarians As Part Of A Reauthorization Of The Higher Education Act Through 2012. In July 2008, Pence voted against creating up to $10,000 in loan forgiveness for certain nurses, early childhood educators or librarians. According to Congressional Quarterly, the legislation would have “reauthorize[d] the Higher Education Act through fiscal 2012. The bill would [have] increase[d] the maximum Pell grant to $8,000 per year by the 2014-15 academic year. It would [have] bar[red] lenders from giving schools financial perks in order to get on a ‘preferred lender list.’ It also would [have] penalize[d] states that cut funding for institutions of higher education by withholding some federal funds if the state’s funding for such institutions falls below the average amount allocated by the state over the last five academic years. It would [have] establish[ed] a new loan forgiveness program, providing up to $2,000 a year for five years for individuals such as nurses, early childhood educators and librarians serving in high-need areas.” The vote was on the conference report. The House adopted the conference report by a vote of 380 to 49. The Senate then adopted the conference report and sent the bill to the president, who signed it into law. [House Vote 544, 7/31/08; Congressional Quarterly, 7/31/08; Congressional Actions, H.R. 4137]
2007: Pence Voted Against Authorizing $150 Million For A DoJ Program To Assist New Prosecutors And Public Defenders Pay Back Student Loans. In May 2007, Pence voted against legislation that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, “authorize[d] $150 million in fiscal 2008 through 2013 for a new Justice Department program to help new prosecutors and public defenders pay back student loans.” The vote was on the legislation. The House passed the bill by a vote of 341 to 73. The bill died in the Senate. [House Vote 347, 5/15/07; Congressional Quarterly, 5/15/07; Congressional Actions, H.R. 916]
Bills Mike Pence Voted For That Cut Funding To Pell Grants
| Year | Bill |
| 2012 | House Vote 151, 3/16/12; House Budget Committee, 5/20/12; U.S. News and World Report, 9/5/12; Congressional Actions, H.Con.Res. 112 |
| 2012 | House Vote 149, 3/29/12; Republican Study Committee, 3/12 |
| 2011 | House Vote 277, 4/15/11; House Budget Committee, 4/5/11 |
| 2011 | House Vote 275, 4/15/11; Republican Study Committee, 4/7/11; Huffington Post, 4/15/11 |
2010: Pence Voted Against Providing Nearly $4.95 Billion For Pell Grants. In July 2010, Pence voted against an amendment that, according to Congressional Quarterly, “would [have] appropriate[d] $10 billion to assist in the hiring and retention of teachers, $4.95 billion for Pell grants, $701 million for border security and $142 million in additional Gulf Coast oil spill funding. It also would [have] include[d] $11.7 billion in rescissions of previously appropriated funds and $4.7 billion in expected savings from changes to mandatory programs.” The underlying bill, as amended by the Senate, provided supplemental appropriations for disaster relief and operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The vote was on the second portion of the divided question on the motion to concur in the Senate amendments to the bill with an amendment, which the House adopted by a vote of 239 to 182. The Senate later rejected the entire House amendment to the bill. [House Vote 430, 7/1/10; Congressional Quarterly, 7/1/10; Congressional Actions, H.R.4889]
Bills Opposed By Mike Pence That Would Have Increased The Maximum Pell Grant Award
| Year | Bill |
| 2008 | House Vote 544, 7/31/08; Congressional Quarterly, 7/31/08; Congressional Actions, H.R. 4137 |
| 2008 | House Vote 40, 2/7/08; Congressional Quarterly, 2/7/08; Congressional Actions, H.R. 4137 |
| 2007 | House Vote 864, 9/7/07; Congressional Quarterly, 9/7/07; Congressional Actions, H.R. 2669 |
| 2007 | House Vote 72, 1/31/07; Congressional Quarterly, 1/29/07; Congressional Actions, H.J.Res. 20 |
2006: Pence Voted To Increase The Maximum Pell Grant Amount By $200, To $6,000, As Part Of Reauthorizing The Higher Education Act. In March 2006, Pence voted for a bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly, “would extend five years provisions of the 1998 Higher Education Act that were not included in the recently enacted budget reconciliation law. It would authorize an increase in the maximum Pell grant to $6,000 and allow for year-round Pell Grants. It also would repeal the single-holder rule, which requires student borrowers to consolidate their loans with their existing lenders.” According to the Lowell Sun, “[T]he bill [would have] increase[d] the ceiling for Pell grants by $200, bringing it to $6,000.” The House passed the bill by a vote of 221 to 199. The bill was then sent to the Senate, which took no substantive action on it. [House Vote 81, 3/30/06; Congressional Quarterly, 3/30/06; Lowell Sun, 4/4/06; Congressional Actions, H.R. 609]
Pence’s Opponent John Gregg Attacked Pence For Voting To Cut Pell Grants. According to Evansville Courier & Press, “Before Pence announced his plan, Gregg’s campaign blasted him for voting to cut Pell Grants - a federal program that provides college financial aid to low-income students. ‘It’s insulting for Congressman Pence to come back home pretending to be a friend to students,’ Gregg spokesman Daniel Altman said.” [Evansville Courier & Press, 8/24/12]
Pence Defended His Vote To Cut Pell Grants By Stating That Education Spending Must Happen In A “Fiscally Responsible Way.” According to Evansville Courier & Press, “Pence said he cast those votes with the nation’s larger economic picture in mind. He said he has supported education programs and spending on education at the federal level in the past, but such spending must happen ‘in a fiscally responsible way.’” [Evansville Courier & Press, 8/24/12]
2008: Pence Voted Against Increasing Federal Student Loan Limits And Allowing The Education Department To Buy Existing Student Loans At A Discount. In 2008, Pence voted against a bill that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, “increase[d] annual loan limits on federal college loans and give the Education Department a bigger role in ensuring loan availability. The bill would [have] increase[d] the amount of federal loans undergraduates can borrow from $23,000 to $31,000. Students who [were] not dependents could borrow up to $57,500, up from $46,000. It would [have] allow[ed] the Education Department to buy up existing loans at a discount and codify the department’s ability to advance funds to guarantee agencies.” The vote was on passage of the bill. The House passed the bill by a vote of 383 to 27. Afterwards, the Senate passed an amended version of the bill, which the House then agreed to, and which the president then signed into law. [House Vote 204, 4/17/08; Congressional Quarterly, 4/17/08; Congressional Actions, H.R. 5715]
2011: Pence Voted To Block Rules That Required For-Profit Colleges To Show That Their Graduates Had The Ability To Pay Back Student Loans Because They Were Gainfully Employed. In February 2011, Pence voted for an amendment that, according to Congressional Quarterly, “bar[red] the use of funds made available in the [underlying] bill to implement, administer or enforce an Education Department regulation or rule with respect to the definition or application of the term ‘gainful employment’ under the Higher Education Act.” According to the Washington Post, “Federal education officials are tightening oversight of the burgeoning for-profit higher-education sector with the release Thursday of a new regulation they say will require career preparatory programs to yield ‘gainful employment.’ […] The rule effectively would shut down for-profit programs that repeatedly fail to show, through certain measures, that graduates are earning enough to pay down the loans taken out to attend those programs.” The vote was on a proposed amendment to the House’s full-year continuing and defense appropriations legislation for fiscal year 2011. The House adopted the amendment by a vote of 289 to 136. The amended bill later passed the House, but the legislation died after the Senate failed to invoke cloture on it. [House Vote 92, 2/18/11; Congressional Quarterly, 2/18/11; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1; Washington Post, 6/2/11]