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National Black Chamber of Commerce Urges Senate to Continue Efforts to Defund Gainful Employment

Gainful Employment rule will hurt minority, low-income students

WASHINGTON, April 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In anticipation of budget negotiations that will carry members of Congress through the weekend, Harry Alford, president and CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC), released the following statement regarding the amendment to defund the Department of Education's proposed Gainful Employment regulation.

"Last month, the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan amendment to defund the Department of Education's proposed Gainful Employment regulation. Now, it is up to the Senate to continue efforts led by their colleagues in the House to keep educational opportunities open for career college students.

Education is the key to success for today's students. And with minority students comprising 39% of all students at career colleges, we cannot leave them behind. Career colleges provide necessary opportunities for these students to learn valuable skills that can be implemented during their first day on the job.

Now, we call on the Senate to listen to their colleagues in the House and fight to defund the proposed Gainful Employment regulation. With Black unemployment numbers much higher than the rest of the U.S. - hovering over 15 percent in January - we must work to educate and employ our students, not take away their alternatives for higher education."

About NBCC

The NBCC reaches 100,000 Black owned businesses. There are 1.9 million Black owned businesses in the United States. Black businesses account for over $138 billion in annual sales. African Americans have over $1 trillion in expendable income each year according to the U.S. Bureau of Census. The National Black Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to economically empowering and sustaining African American communities through entrepreneurship and capitalistic activity within the United States and via interaction with the Black Diaspora.

For more information, please call NBCC at (202) 466-6888 or visit www.nationalbcc.org/.

SOURCE National Black Chamber of Commerce