Higher Education Bill Still Not Ready for President

In addition to appropriations work, Congress still must prepare a Higher Education Act (HEA) reauthorization bill for the President. The Senate passed their version earlier this year, but the House Education and Labor Committee finally passed their own version just before the Thanksgiving break. The bill, H.R. 4137, still needs to get through the House floor before the bill can go to conference with the Senate.

Following previous efforts in Congress this year, H.R. 4137 looks to help rein in the rising cost of higher education, making it more affordable for middle and low-income families to send their children to college. The bill increases the maximum authorized Pell grant for low-income college students to $9,000 per year, from $5,800, and would allow the grants to be used year-round. The bill will also:

• Streamline the federal student financial aid application process;
• Make textbook costs more manageable for students by helping them plan for textbook expenses in advance of each semester;
• Strengthen college readiness programs;
• Increase college aid and support programs for veterans and military families;
• Improve safety on college campuses and help schools recover and rebuild after a disaster;
• Ensure equal college opportunities and fair learning environments for students with disabilities; and
• Strengthen the nation’s workforce and economic competitiveness by boosting science, technology, and foreign language educational opportunities.

It is unclear how quickly Congress will move on the bill, but momentum picked up last month when Congress decided not to move forward on reauthorizing the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. House and Senate leaders want to push at least one major education reauthorization package through before the end of the year, but the time constraints may force lawmakers to carry efforts over into next year.