A standing-room-only crowd of deeply interested RU-N students packed into University Square residence hall on Feb. 2 for “A Conversation with U.S. Sen. Cory Booker.” Rutgers University-Newark hosted the conversation about student debt with Sen. Booker, the RU-N debate team and RU-N students. The conversation centered on the issue, “The Merits of Student Debt Legislation: What is the Role of the Federal Government?”
RU-N students Elijah Smith and Subroto Sinha faced each other in the debate, which was moderated by Christopher Kozak of the School of Public Affairs and Administration. Kozak was director of the debate team while he was a graduate student at RU-N.
Following the debate, Sen. Booker discussed his co-sponsorship of the FAST Act, a bill to simplify the process of applying for and receiving federal financial aid to attend college, allow year-round use of Pell Grants, discourage over-borrowing and simplify repayments. In the last Congress, Sen. Booker co-sponsored the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act, which would allow eligible students to refinance their federal loans. The senator also answered questions from the students, who all answered affirmatively when Sen. Booker asked if they were carrying significant student debt loads.
The free program was open to students, faculty and staff, as well as the public. The event was co-sponsored by the Office of the Chancellor, Academic Foundations Center, the Offices of University-Community Partnerships, Communications, Housing, Admissions, and Financial Aid; School of Public Affairs and Administration, School of Business-Newark and New Brusnswick, School of Law, School of Criminal Justice, Faculty of Arts and Sciences-Newark, and the Paul Robeson Campus Center.
WATCH NJTV'S COVERAGE OF THIS PROGRAM
