It has never happened since the Higher Education Act was first authorized in 1965.

On April 29th, the Senate approved legislation (S. 2929) to extend the Higher Education Act through May 31, 2008. The latest extension expired on April 30th at midnight. However, unlike the prior extensions (when the House and Senate quickly approved extra time legislation before the actual drop dead point), this time the House failed to approve the bill before the deadline. Consequently, technically there is no formal authorization for the programs authorized by the Act.

This sounds serious. What does it mean? Is there something I need to be doing or not doing in my financial aid office?

Actually, not much changes without an authorization for the Higher Education Act. Sure, there are a couple of advisory committees that now cannot operate and a few individuals in one higher education program are out of luck until the House passes S. 2929. But, since ED is operating on a FY 2008 appropriations bill, life goes on unchanged at the agency, in your office, and for your students.

This would have been, and when the House takes up the bill next week will be, the tenth extension since the automatic first one back in 2003.

But years from now you can tell the story that you were there when the HEA expired. And nothing happened: the earth continued to turn; the sky did not fall.

By Larry Zaglaniczny
NASFAA Vice President for Governmental Relations

Posted 05/02/08 to www.NASFAA.org. Redistribution to non-NASFAA institutions is prohibited. Please submit Web Site questions or comments to Web@NASFAA.org.