The Higher Education Act
The House of Representatives approved the HEA reauthorization bill yesterday (HR 4137), by a vote of 354 to 58. The Senate approved their version unanimously in July. The next step for the HEA will be conference committee, where lawmakers from each chamber meet to reconcile the two versions of the bill.
Among the amendments that passed were two sponsored by Congressman Tom Petri (R-WI) that would explore market-based reform and extend audit provisions for the FFEL program , and another sponsored by Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) that would require the IRS and the Department of Education to collaborate to ease the completion of the FAFSA for the neediest families. Another amendment, sponsored by Congressman Danny Davis (D-IL), would have provided bankruptcy protection to students with high-risk private loans. The Davis amendment failed, but NACAC will continue to work with coalition partners to get provisions to protect students into the final version of the HEA.
The FY 2009 Education Budget
The President released his fiscal year 2009 budget request on Monday, February 4. The President’s budget is a non-binding recommendation to Congress, but reflects the administration’s funding priorities for the upcoming fiscal year. NACAC is opposed to the President’s budget for education, as it level-funds critical programs like GEAR UP, TRIO’s Upward Bound and Talent Search, and Work Study. The President’s budget eliminates LEAP, SEOG, and the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program (ESSCP), the only federal program that provides funds to public schools to hire school counselors. ESSCP was one of the only education programs to get a funding increase last year, making high schools eligible for grant funds for the first time.
The President’s budget also included a $69 increase in the maximum Pell award, and a new private school voucher program called “Pell Grants for Kids,” for which his budget provides $300 million.
Please contact NACAC staff at legislative@nacacnet.org with any questions, and visit NACAC’s government relations web page for the latest news.