External Affairs

Higher Education Act (HEA) Reauthorization

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The UNC system Office of Federal Relations shared an update on the Higher Ed Act Reauthorization earlier today. Below is an excerpt with several links for additional information. 

Congressional House and Senate Education Committee leadership have recently released draft proposals for Higher Education Act (HEA) reauthorization.  Below are several bills that have been introduced related to the HEA reauthorization. 

  • Simplifying the Application for Student Aid Act. Introduced by Reps. Larry Bucshon (R-IN), Mike Kelly (R-PA), John Tierney (D-MA), Tim Bishop (D-NY), Jared Polis (D-CO), and Ed Royce (R-CA), H.R. 4982 will reform the federal student aid process to help students make timely financial decisions about their education. To learn more about the legislation, click here.
  • Strengthening Transparency in Higher Education Act. Introduced by Reps. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Luke Messer (R-IN), H.R. 4983 will help students gain access to the facts they need to make an informed decision about their education. To learn more about the legislation, click here.
  • Empowering Students through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act. Introduced by Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Richard Hudson (R-NC), H.R. 4984 will promote financial literacy through enhanced counseling for all recipients of federal financial aid. To learn more about the legislation, click href=”http://edworkforce.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=386101″ target=”_blank”>here. 
  • Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, released a comprehensive HEA reauthorization proposal last week. Read the HELP summary of the bill here.
  • Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) released a draft of the “Financial Aid Simplification and Transparency (FAST) Act” last week.
  • Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC) recently introduced the “Correctly Recognizing Educational Achievements to Empower (CREATE) Graduates Act,” a bill that would expand opportunities for colleges and universities to implement a reverse transfer student strategy. North Carolina is currently in the final year of a two-year reverse transfer pilot program funded by the Lumina Foundation. The bill would authorize incentives for reverse transfer programs.

Source:  University of North Carolina General Administration, Office of Federal Relations