Franken, Bruininks to talk college affordability

University of Minnesota President Robert Bruininks will join Sen. Al Franken on Monday to discuss how to make college more affordable for students.

Bruininks and Franken, D-Minn., will speak at a news conference Monday morning on the university's Minneapolis campus.

Franken is backing legislation in Congress that aims to streamline the student loan system and put any savings into boosting student aid. He and former Sen. Dave Durenberger recently published an op-ed piece calling for direct loans between a university and a student rather than having private banks market and administer the loans.

The University of Minnesota already has direct lending, and Franken has said the nation would save billions of dollars if universities across the country adopted the practice.

After the news conference, Franken plans to meet with students attending the University of Minnesota to hear their concerns about paying for college.