House Expected to Vote on Higher Education Measure Tomorrow, July 31

By Betsy Miller Kittredge on 07-30-2008, 04:03 PM in

The House is expected to vote tomorrow, July 31, on the Higher Education Opportunity Act (H.R. 4137). This measure is the conference report on the Higher Education Act reauthorization; conferees adopted the conference report last night.

This would be the first time the Higher Education Act was reauthorized since 1998. The current law expired in 2003. This Congress has already passed two major pieces of legislation to make college more affordable and accessible. Last September, Congress enacted the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, which provides more than $20 billion in federal college aid for students over five years – and at no new cost to taxpayers. This spring, Congress also enacted the Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act, which safeguards students’ access to federal financial aid from turmoil in the U.S. credit markets. That law also carried no cost for taxpayers.

A college education continues to be the best path to the middle class. But more and more, high college prices and other obstacles are putting a college degree further out of reach for America’s students. In addition to rising tuition, students and their families face an overly complex federal student aid application process and a student loan industry mired in conflicts of interest and corrupt lending practices. The Higher Education Opportunity Act will continue this Congress’ effort to make college more affordable and accessible. This bill would reform our higher education system so that it operates in the best interests of students and families, while boosting our competitiveness and strengthening our future.