Legislation (H.R. 3566) was introduced in the House on Tuesday to permanently extend the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students (HEROES) Act of 2003.

The bill introduced, by Rep. John Kline (R-MN) and cosponsored by House Education and Labor Committee members, is designed to ensure that U.S. military reservists called to active duty are not forced to make payments on federal student loans while they are on active duty. The extension allows the Education Department to continue to provide the appropriate assistance and flexibility to men and women in uniform as they transfer in and out of postsecondary education during a time of war.

"The bipartisan HEROES Act provides assurance to our men and women in uniform that they will not face education-related financial or administrative difficulties while they defend our nation," Congressman Kline said in a press release. "Permanent reauthorization of this legislation will show Congress's commitment to our military, our students, and our schools."

The bill encourages postsecondary institutions to provide a full refund of tuition and fees to students for the period they were not able to complete because of their service, and encourages institutions to minimize deferral of enrollment or reapplication requirements, making it easier for military personnel to reenter their postsecondary education when they return from active duty.

HEROES also allows the Department to quickly react to situations not yet existing in order to provide the flexibility and protections necessary to best assist military personnel with the transition to and from postsecondary education.

Posted 09/20/07 to www.NASFAA.org. Please submit Web Site questions or comments to Web@NASFAA.org