"Tucked inside nearly 1,200 pages of the Higher Education Act, Congress has inserted a variety of new or expanded policies that may help more low-income students attend and succeed in college," Diverse Issues in Higher Education reports. "In addition to a $9,000 authorized Pell Grant and more aid to minority-serving colleges - which are among the bill's high-profile provisions - the Higher Education Opportunity Act has programming to help single parents and part-time students, expands loan forgiveness to graduates in high-need professions and rewards states for their support for public higher education. ... The federal government also would gain more authority to regulate private loans, a fast-growing segment of student borrowing that has come under criticism for high fees and interest rates levied against needy students. 'This provision will help ensure that students receive the counseling they need,' says Dr. Philip Day, president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators."