Sharon Cameron, our Audit and Compliance Specialist, has worked for our company for over 30 years. During those years the company has considerably, federal guidelines regulating the Perkins Loan Program have been updated, and she has been transferred to new positions within the company. However, Sharon has never seen anything quite like the administration’s proposal to eliminate the Perkins program.

She could only describe her reactions to the news of the proposed elimination of the Perkins Program as those of shock and outrage. While attending the COHEAO meeting in Washington at the beginning of the month, she heard that the elimination of Perkins could be included in the FY 2006 budget. (The proposal to eliminate the Perkins Loan Program was sent to Congress on February 7, 2005.) Immediately, one of our customers told Sharon that eliminating Perkins loans would mean that 166 incoming first year students would have to make up the loss of several thousand dollars in their financial aid package or not be able to attend her school. In addition, as many as 250 seniors might not have funds to finish their education at the same institution.

“What are they going to use to make up the difference?” Sharon asked rhetorically during her interview for this article. “Use high interest credit cards? Many already have Pell grants,” Sharon continued, referring to the Bush plan to shift funds from Perkins to Pell. “They are talking about increasing the limit on Pell grants by $100. What difference would a $100 make in offsetting a loss of several thousands dollars in Perkins funds?” she added. Sharon also said that the proposed cuts “make me feel very sad.”

The idea that some otherwise qualified students might not be able to attend college upsets Sharon. “The forerunner of the Perkins program, the National Defense Student Loan program, was established in 1958, when the former Soviet Union launched its first Sputnik satellite. Everyone in the country was terrified that the United States was lagging behind in technology so Congress established the NDSL program with low interest rates and a 10-year repayment term so that everyone who qualified academically could have a shot at college. The loans were established in defense of our nation.”

Sharon added that she has been telling that story when training staff or customers for 30 years. “I know people laugh at my story about Sputnik, but I feel strongly about making college accessible to all Americans. I feel that I should put my right hand over my heart when I tell that story.”

Sharon is very impressed with the response of our company’s leadership to the crisis. “Paul Carey, our Chairman, started writing letters to elected officials immediately, and will follow up with visits and telephone calls. Mike Carey, our President, and other senior executives are monitoring the situation closely. Mark Olson, our EVP, Sales and Marketing, even took the initiative to unite with our competitors to write a joint letter to the Department of Education, and a group of us visited our senators and district representative, while we were in Washington for COHEAO,” Sharon continued.

Although there are positives signs that both Democrats and Republicans plan to fight for the Perkins program, Sharon encourages all our customers to start their own letter-writing campaigns. “During COHEAO’s December teleconference, Henry Wadsworth said that we should build a constant murmur of support for Perkins. To me, we should build a constant roar of support, by sending letters and making telephone calls and visits,“ Sharon said with an emphasis on the “roar.”

“If everyone speaks out against the elimination of the Perkins program, how can Washington ignore it?” Sharon asks with conviction. For more information on what you can do to fight for the Perkins program, please contact Sharon at 1-800-458-4492, ext. 2060

Sharon Cameron is one of our most respected and visible employees. During her 30 year career, she has served as a corporate trainer and School Relations Coordinator. She became our Audit and Compliance Specialist in 2001. In 2002, Sharon received the Anne-Marie Miller Service Excellence Award, which is our company’s most prestigious award. Sharon is married and has a son, who is attending college.