Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Jim Risch addressed students from across the U.S. today at an education rally in front of the U.S. Capitol. The students, primarily from private-sector colleges and universities, spoke out in opposition to the Department of Education’s proposed ‘gainful employment’ regulations which could deny them federal financial aid.

“This is a job-killing regulation that stands in the way of students trying to improve their quality of life. It would particularly have a negative impact on the health field where nearly half of all workers are educated at proprietary institutions,” Risch told the crowd.

Last week, Risch introduced The Education for All Act that would prohibit the ‘gainful employment’ regulations from being enacted. The next day, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the regulations would be delayed until early next year to review public comments.

“We live in a free market society. We depend on entrepreneurs and risk-takers. This assault on for-profit institutions and vocational schools and the students that attend them is an ill-conceived idea. While I am pleased the Department of Education has delayed the implementation of the gainful-employment rules, I will continue to push for them to be abandoned altogether. We are a free people and we have a right to choose the education we want,” Risch concluded.

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