By SHAQUILLE BREWSTER
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) _ Black lawmakers are urging President Barack Obama to do something about changes to a college loan program that they say make it tougher for students at historically black schools to finance their education.
Congressional Black Caucus members say the PLUS loan was the first topic discussed in their meeting with Obama on Tuesday.
The chair of the black caucus, Democratic congresswoman Marcia Fudge of Ohio, says Obama has assured them that he would address their concerns.
The lawmakers say large numbers of previously eligible applicants are being denied loans under new rules determining creditworthiness for the higher-interest loans.
A survey by the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education finds that more than 14,000 students attending historically black schools have been impacted by the change last fall.
