Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to join Senator Abraham in sponsoring this common sense legislation that addresses the menacing growth of scholarship fraud. I am dismayed by the increasing frequency with which I hear stories of corrupt companies and individuals preying on the hopes and dreams of America’s youth by fraudulently promising scholarships in exchange for an advance fee.

At the October 6 hearing, we heard a number of compelling stories from victims of scholarship fraud and those in the field of financial aid. Their stories underscore the importance of a national awareness campaign that alerts students to these unscrupulous companies. I am happy to report that we incorporated many of these suggestions into our substitute amendment.

One such story was from Sherri Picket, a resident of Madison, Wisconsin. A company called Academic Financial Programs promised Sherri scholarships in exchange for an advance fee. Instead, Sherri received useless scholarship information that was irrelevant to her age, field of study, and academic status. With this legislation, we can raise awareness about scholarship fraud and prevent students like Sherri from being lured into these situations in the future.

I am pleased that we were able to receive feedback from other Senators. I especially appreciate Senator Leahy’s comments with respect to the Federal Sentencing Commission and the need for the Justice Department to be involved in reporting scholarship fraud. Our substitute amendment would amend the sentencing guidelines, rather than the criminal code, to toughen the potential penalty for scholarship scam artists. These changes are acceptable, and I welcome the ranking member’s support.

Mr. Chairman, I urge all my colleagues to join me and Senator Abraham in the fight against scholarship fraud. Thank you.