Former Vermont Sen. Stafford dies at 93

If you've had college loans like I have, the last name will be familar to you.

Former Vermont Sen. Stafford dies at 93
By ROSS SNEYD, Associated Press Writer

MONTPELIER, Vt. - Former Sen. Robert Stafford, a staunch environmentalist and champion of education whose name is familiar to countless college students through a loan program named for him, died Saturday. He was 93.

Stafford, who had been in declining health, was surrounded by family at a Rutland nursing home when he died at 9:30 a.m., said Neal Houston, his former chief of staff.

Stafford served two years as governor, 11 years in the House and 17 in the Senate before retiring in early 1989.

As ranking Republican on the Senate's environment committee, Stafford repeatedly defended the Superfund program to clean up contaminated sites and shepherded bills combating acid rain and automobile pollution.

In 1988, Congress renamed the Federal Guaranteed Student Loan program the Robert T. Stafford Student Loan program. The low-interest loans are now known almost universally as Stafford loans to the millions who qualify for them each year.

According to the federal Education Department, about 14 million Stafford loans were given to postsecondary students in 2006.