Press Release
July 31, 2008
Congresswoman Susan Davis Supports Higher Education Improvements
Bill includes Davis’s provisions on benefits for veterans and servicemembers
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-CA) joined an overwhelming bipartisan majority to approve legislation that would address the soaring price of college tuition and remove other obstacles making it harder for qualified students to go to college.
By a vote of 380 to 49, the House of Representatives approved the final version of the Higher Education Opportunity Act (H.R. 4137). The bill also included provisions authored by Davis to benefit veterans and servicemembers attending college.
“We should be very proud of this bipartisan agreement,” said Davis, a member of the House Education and Labor Committee and a cosponsor of the bill. “This a great example of how Congress can come together in the name of a greater interest – helping those who dream of the benefits of higher education.”
The Davis Provisions included in H.R. 4137 would:
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Stop student loan interest from accruing while a servicemember is on active duty.
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Make it easier for veterans to qualify for federal student aid by preventing their GI benefits from impacting their eligibility for federal aid.
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Guarantee readmission to school for servicemembers who are activated while attending college.
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Encourage college students to educate the community in civic education and disaster preparedness with the promise of work-study funds.
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Provide flexibility to college students receiving work-study funds during natural disasters such as the recent fires in Southern California.
The bill continues to build on efforts to make college more affordable and accessible for all qualified students. It allows students to receive year-round Pell Grant scholarships. It would also make the cost of textbooks more manageable by helping students plan for textbook expenses in advance of each semester.
This is first comprehensive reauthorization in ten year of the Higher Education Act - the primary federal law aimed at expanding college access for low- and middle-income students. The bill goes before the Senate. If approved by the Senate, it goes to the President for his signature.