House Set to Pass HEA (2/1/2008)

The House is finally set to move forward with its version of the Higher Education Act (HEA) reauthorization next week. The House Rules Committee will sift through proposed amendments on Wednesday, and set the ground rules for debate, expected to begin on Thursday. If the House is successful in passing the bill on Thursday, conferees could meet the following week, possibly getting the bill to the President before the end of the month.

The House Education and Labor Committee passed an HEA bill last November, but the delayed appropriations cycle pushed most other initiatives onto the backburner. Over the past few weeks, Senate leaders, who passed their HEA legislation last summer, pushed for their House colleagues to pass a bill so the two chambers can go to conference. The House committee bill would:

• 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;
• Allow students to receive year-round Pell Grant scholarships;
• 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 our nation’s workforce and economic competitiveness by boosting science, technology, and foreign language educational opportunities.

Once the bill passes through the House, conferees can begin negotiations on a final reauthorization package. Depending on how quickly the two chambers can come to an agreement, members of the higher education community may see final legislation by the end of the month. HEA reauthorization, which is roughly five years overdue, could be a key victory for Democrats, who failed to reauthorize No Child Left Behind (NCLB) last year. While there is some cautious optimism regarding NCLB’s chances for reauthorization this year, Democrats can help pad their track record by finally passing an overhaul of the nation’s higher education system.

Resources:
Libby George, “Higher Education Law Overhaul Could Give Democrats a Legislative Win,” CQ Today, January 14, 2008.
Niels Lesniewski, “House Rules Planning to Take Up College Opportunity and Affordability Act on Feb. 6,” Congress Now, January 29, 2008.
Author: SAS