Educate the Vote: NAGPS Release Results of Congressional Candidate Assessment

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Association of Graduate-Professional Students (NAGPS) will release results of a candidate assessment survey conducted of congressional candidates running for office on November 4^th. The candidate assessment asked all candidates, including incumbents, for feedback on four NAGPS Legislative Priorities. The results of the survey will be distributed to students across the nation and will be posted on the NAGPS website, nagps.org, on November 1^st. 

The "Educate the Vote" candidate assessment started in the 2012 election season at the University of Missouri, focusing on Missouri state and congressional candidates. This year, the efforts were expanded to include all congressional candidates nationwide. NAGPS partnered with the Associated Students of the University of Missouri (ASUM) and the University of Missouri Graduate Professional Council (GPC) to collect the survey results for all candidates. 

The candidate assessment will help students understand where candidates, who are running for the U.S. House and Senate, stand on issues that are important to them before they vote. The candidates were asked to respond to the following questions on four issues from the NAGPS Legislative Priorities:

1.      Student Loans:

• What is your stance on reunifying the undergraduate and graduate/professional student loan rates and reinstating subsidized loans for graduate and professional students? 
• In order to help the students of the United States, what legislation would you propose to ease the burden of student debt?

2.      Funding Graduate Education:

• What is your position on reinstating the Javits Fellowship and similar humanities, arts, and social science programs?
• What is your position on the current federal spending levels to the NSF, NIH, and other federal research agencies for STEM education and research?

3.      Student Visa Renewal:

• What is your position on legislation that allows for the domestic revalidation of
  F-type student visas?
  

4.      Open Access for Federally Funded Research:

• What is your position on the Fair Access to Science and Technology Research Act of 2013?

"Educate the Vote" will allow students to make an informed decision at the ballot box on November 4^th and educate all Americans, students and lawmakers, about these issues.

Contact: 
Jesse W. Kremenak
Director of Legislative Affairs
[email protected] 
(240) 620-3131

SOURCE National Association of Graduate-Professional Students (NAGPS)

Related Links

www.nagps.org