Higher Education Act Reauthorization News

• Senate Hearing on FAFSA Fixes Highlights Broad Consensus On Simplification
  September 18, 2020 - The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Thursday outlined how Congress could seek to further simplify the FAFSA while still providing institutions of higher education with the data they need to determine aid, during a la...
• What’s Next for the Higher Education Act After Another Year Passes Without a Reauthorization?
  August 26, 2020 - As the days left in the legislative calendar shrink and Congress attempts to pass another federal relief package to address the disruptions caused by the novel coronavirus, another year will pass without a reauthorization of the Higher Education Act ...
• Making Financial Aid Work for All
  August 22, 2019 - As Congress inches closer to taking a wholesale look at the federal role in higher education through the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA), NASFAA is pleased to outline recommendations to make financial aid work for all.
• In Final HEA Reauthorization Hearing, House Committee Tackles Innovation
  June 20, 2019 - In its fifth and final bipartisan hearing covering topics for consideration when reauthorizing the Higher Education Act (HEA), the House Committee on Education and Labor on Wednesday dove into issues around innovation and alternative pathways to a co...
• White House HEA Reauthorization Priorities Mirror Trump Budget Proposal
  March 19, 2019 - The Trump administration on Monday released its priorities for the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA), with proposals focusing on institutional accountability, curbing student loan debt, and increasing the use of alternative pathways t...
• House Higher Education Act Reauthorization Hearing Covers Range of College Affordability Issues
  March 14, 2019 - Following their counterparts in the Senate, the House Committee on Education and Labor on Wednesday kicked off its Higher Education Act (HEA) reauthorization efforts with a nearly four-hour hearing that ran the gamut of topics on college cost and aff...
• Senate HELP Committee Kicks Off Reauthorization Hearings With FAFSA Simplification, Verification
  March 13, 2019 - The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Tuesday once again renewed its efforts to work toward reauthorizing the Higher Education Act (HEA) by holding the first of several planned hearings, focusing on simplifying the FAF...
• House Democrats' HEA Reauthorization Bill's General Provisions and Miscellaneous Changes
  August 23, 2018 - This article is the sixth and last in a series that delves into Title IV-related issues contained in the House Democrats' bill to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, the Aim Higher Act. This article details proposed changes to the General Provision...
• House Democrats' HEA Reauthorization Bill's Impact on Loan Counseling and Consumer Information
  August 20, 2018
• House Democrats' HEA Reauthorization Bill's Impact on Student Loans
  August 16, 2018 - This article is the fourth in a series that delves into Title IV-related issues contained in the House Democrats' bill to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, the Aim Higher Act. This article details the proposed changes in the Aim Higher Act a...
• House Democrats' HEA Reauthorization Bill's Impact on Campus-Based Programs
  August 13, 2018 - This article is the third in a series that delves into Title IV-related issues contained in the House Democrats' bill to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, the Aim Higher Act. This article details the proposed changes in the Aim Higher Act af...
• House Democrats' HEA Reauthorization Bill's Impact on Pell and Other Grants
  August 9, 2018 - This article, the second in a series that delves into Title IV-related issues contained in the Aim Higher Act, details the proposed changes in the Aim Higher Act affecting the Federal Pell Grant and other federal grant programs. Among other provision...
• House Democrats' HEA Reauthorization Bill's Impact on Student Eligibility and the FAFSA
  August 6, 2018
• House Democrats' 'Aim Higher Act' Pushes Back on GOP Higher Ed Reauthorization Bill
  July 24, 2018 - As Republican lawmakers' work to reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA) appears to have come to a halt, Democratic lawmakers in the House on Tuesday released their own version of a bill to overhaul America's higher education system, with several ...
• PROSPER Act Results in Net Loss in Student Aid, CBO Analysis Shows
  February 9, 2018 - The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the non-partisan accounting arm of Congress, released a cost estimate on Tuesday for the PROSPER Act, the House Republicans' Higher Education Act (HEA) reauthorization bill. In total, the bill, if enacted as wri...
• Senators Take Aim at College Affordability, Student Debt as HEA Work Continues
  February 7, 2018 - The Senate education committee continued gathering information to develop a bill to reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA) on Tuesday, turning their attention to issues around college affordability and student loan debt — and what role fede...
• Senate Republicans, Democrats Give Glimpse of HEA Reauthorization Priorities
  February 5, 2018 - As the Senate education committee continues its work toward drafting a bill to reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA), some Republican and Democratic leaders have outlined where they stand on certain central issues, such as college affordability,...
• Senate Education Committee Dives Into Aid Simplification, Transparency
  January 19, 2018 - Following through on a promise to start the new year by diving in to higher education reform, the Senate education committee on Thursday held one in a series of hearings on reauthorizing the Higher Education Act (HEA), which focused on federal studen...
• PROSPER Act: House HEA Reauthorization Bill’s Changes to Remainder of General Provisions
  December 21, 2017 - The PROSPER Act proposes replacing cohort default rate (CDR) as a metric to determine institutional eligibility with program-based repayment rates. A program at an institution would lose its Title IV eligibility for three years if its loan repayment ...
• PROSPER Act: House HEA Reauthorization Bill's Impact on Consumer Information and Student Eligibility
  December 20, 2017 - The PROSPER Act would replace the College Navigator with a similar tool called the College Dashboard. Like the College Navigator, the Dashboard would also present institutional information that can be compared, but there are many changes to the speci...
• PROSPER Act: House HEA Reauthorization Bill’s Impact on Pell Grants and Federal Work-Study
  December 14, 2017 - The PROSPER Act, released by House Republicans on December 1, creates an incentive for accelerated study by adding a Bonus Pell award for up to $300 per award year for students enrolling in a greater than full-time workload. It also introduces a loss...
• PROSPER Act: House HEA Reauthorization Bill’s Impact on Loan Programs
  December 13, 2017 - This article is the second in a series that delves into Title IV-related issues contained in the Promoting Real Opportunity, Success and Prosperity Through Education Reform (PROSPER) Act released by House Republicans on Dec. 1, 2017. This article foc...
• Amended Reauthorization Bill Clears House Education Committee
  December 13, 2017 - Just seconds before the clock struck midnight on Tuesday, the House education committee voted along party lines to move a bill to reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA) to the floor for a full vote.
• House HEA Bill Addresses Need Analysis, State Authorization, Accreditation Standards, and Program Review Timeframe
  December 8, 2017 - This article is the first in a series that address Title IV-related issues contained in the Promoting Real Opportunity, Success and Prosperity Through Education Reform (PROSPER) Act released by House Republicans on Dec. 1, 2017. These articles will f...
• NASFAA Issues Summary of House Republicans’ HEA Reauthorization Bill
  December 4, 2017 - Republican members of the House education committee on Friday introduced a 542-page bill that would significantly reshape how students apply for and receive federal financial aid. The much-anticipated bill to reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA...
• House HEA Reauthorization Bill: Reactions From the Higher Ed Community
  December 4, 2017 - While higher education professionals are still sifting through the House Republicans’ lengthy bill to reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA) released Friday, initial reactions focused heavily on condemning proposals to cut various grant and...
• Senators Discuss Merits, Consequences of FAFSA Simplification in HEA Hearing
  November 29, 2017 - In a rare moment of bipartisan agreement, lawmakers on the Senate education committee on Tuesday discussed how to move forward with ways to simplify the FAFSA as part of a larger reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA).
• Advisory Committee Hearing Focuses on Higher Ed Reforms, Financial Aid Simplification
  September 14, 2015 - As Congress continues the process to reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA), the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance convened a meeting of experts to discuss potential suggestions for reform to include in a reauthorization bill.&nb...
• House Introduces Package of Bipartisan Reauthorization Bills
  July 24, 2015 - Yesterday various members of the House Education and the Workforce Committee introduced a new bill to make the Pell Grant more flexible and reintroduced three bills introduced in the last Congress related to higher education affordability and transpa...
• NASFAA Submits Comments On Senate White Papers Regarding Consumer Info, Risk-Sharing
  April 24, 2015 - NASFAA submitted comments to Sen. Lamar Alexander on the March 23 consumer information and risk sharing white papers released by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
• Bipartisan FAST Act Officially Introduced
  January 8, 2015 - Yesterday, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), new Chairman of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), along with Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO), officially introduced the Financial Aid Simplification and Transparency (FAST) Act. Th...
• NASFAA Summary of Bipartisan FAST Act
  January 7, 2015 - Updated Jan. 7, 2015 - Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the bipartisan Financial Aid Simplification and Transparency (FAST) Act in the 114th Congress on January 7. The bill, designed to simplify the federal financi...
• Senate HELP Committee Introduces Final Higher Education Affordability Act Reauthorization Bill
  November 21, 2014 - Yesterday Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), introduced a comprehensive Higher Education Act reauthorization bill. The Higher Education Affordability Act (HEAA) was originally ...
• The Policy Brief: The 114th Congress and Reauthorization
  November 20, 2014 - In the second video for NASFAA's occasional video series, Assistant Director of Federal Relations Jesse O’Connell discusses the recent Congressional elections and how the Republican takeover of Congress might impact the reauthorization of the Higher ...
• NASFAA Submits Comment on Higher Education Affordability Act
  September 2, 2014 - At the request of Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, NASFAA submitted comments on the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEAA). The discussion draft, released in June 2014, serves ...
• The Policy Brief - Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act
  August 15, 2014 - In the debut of NASFAA’s occasional video series, The Policy Brief, NASFAA’s Megan McClean and Jesse O’Connell discuss reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.    
• HEA Reauthorization – Working Draft Overview
  August 1, 2014 - In order to help navigate the various Higher Education Act Reauthorization proposals, NASFAA has developed  a comparison chart that illustrates the similarities and differences between the draft legislation.
• HEAA: Senate Democrats Propose Changes to Counseling and Loan Servicing
  July 30, 2014 - This article is the sixth in a series that examines various provisions proposed in the Higher Education Affordability Act (HEAA), introduced by Tom Harkin (D-IA), chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) on Jun...
• HEAA: Senate Democrats Propose Elimination of Origination Fee and Other Changes to Loan Programs
  July 23, 2014 - This article is the fifth in a series that will examine various provisions proposed by the Higher Education Affordability Act.  
• HEAA: Senate Democrats Propose Changes to Institutional Eligibility and Responsibilities
  July 16, 2014 - Tom Harkin (D-IA), chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), introduced a comprehensive Higher Education Act reauthorization bill on June 25. The Higher Education Affordability Act (HEAA), which includes severa...
• House Education Committee Moves Three HEA Reauthorization Bills Forward
  July 11, 2014 - On Thursday, Members of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce advanced three bills related to reauthorization of the Higher Education Act: The Advancing Competency-Based Education Demonstration Project Act, The Strengthening Transpa...
• HEAA: Senate Democrats Propose Changes To Need Analysis, Award Letters, And Other Informational Processes
  July 11, 2014 - This article is the third in a series that will examine various provisions proposed by the Higher Education Affordability Act. The Harkin discussion draft bill proposes several changes to the Federal Methodology used to calculate a student’s expected...
• House And Senate Release Several Proposals As HEA Reauthorization Nears
  July 9, 2014 - There has been a frenzy of activity on Capitol Hill in recent weeks as Congress gears up for the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA). This article provides summaries of the most recent proposals that have been put forward including the ...
• HEAA: Democrats Propose Two Significant Changes for the Federal Pell Grant Program
  July 3, 2014 - This article is the second in a series that will examine various provisions proposed by the Higher Education Affordability Act. The Harkin bill would reinstate year-round Pell Grants for students enrolled in extra payment periods within an award year...
• HEAA: Democrats Propose Various Changes to General Provisions
  July 2, 2014 - Tom Harkin (D-IA), chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), introduced a comprehensive Higher Education Act reauthorization bill on June 25. The Higher Education Affordability Act (HEAA), which includes severa...
• HEAA: Senate HELP Committee Introduces Reauthorization Discussion Draft
  June 26, 2014 - Yesterday Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), introduced a comprehensive Higher Education Act reauthorization bill that includes several provisions for which NASFAA has been adv...
• NASFAA’s Reauthorization Task Force Recommends Changes To Need Analysis, Part 2
  July 8, 2013 - This ninth and final article in the series explores NASFAA’s Reauthorization Task Force's (RTF) recommendations regarding need analysis. Topics reviewed include the IRS/FAFSA data exchange; the treatment of unmarried partners or same-sex couples; and...
• NASFAA’s Reauthorization Task Force Recommends Changes To Need Analysis
  June 24, 2013 - This eighth article is the first of two on Need Analysis and includes a recommendation from NASFAA’s Reauthorization Task Force (RTF) for the use of prior-prior year income data as the basis for calculating expected family contribution, among other r...
• NASFAA’s Reauthorization Task Force Recommends Changes to Title IV General Provisions
  June 5, 2013 - This seventh article in the series explores NASFAA’s Reauthorization Task Force's (RTF) recommendations regarding cash management; overaward tolerance; reinstatement of student eligibility; drug-related ineligibility; and I-9 employment eligibility v...
• NASFAA Reauthorization Task Force Recommends Changes to Return of Title IV Funds
  June 3, 2013 - In this sixth article in the series, NASFAA’s Reauthorization Task Force's (RTF) recommendations regarding the return of Title IV funds (R2T4) process are reviewed. When RTF held listening sessions to identify membership concerns, the R2T4 process wa...
• NASFAA’s Reauthorization Task Force Recommends Review of Consumer Information
  May 30, 2013 - The fifth article in this series highlights the recommendations NASFAA’s Reauthorization Task Force (RTF) regarding student consumer information. Topics reviewed include the effectiveness of current requirements; loan consumer information; targeted r...
• NASFAA’s Reauthorization Task Force Recommends Changes to Campus-Based Programs
  May 28, 2013 - The fourth article in this series highlights the recommendations NASFAA’s Reauthorization Task Force (RTF) put forth for campus-based programs including Federal Work-Study, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, and Federal Perkins Loan...
• Higher Education Act Reauthorization
  May 28, 2013 - Late in March, a task force of 17 NASFAA members forwarded to NASFAA’s Board of Directors an initial list of 61 recommendations for changes to the Higher Education Act via the upcoming reauthorization. The Board accepted most of those...
• NASFAA’s Reauthorization Task Force Recommends Changes to Pell Grant Program
  May 24, 2013 - The third article in this series highlights recommendations of NASFAA’s Reauthorization Task Force (RTF) with regard to the Federal Pell Grant Program. Recommendations include: making it a true entitlement program, rescinding institutional inel...
• NASFAA’s Reauthorization Task Force Recommends Changes To Direct Loan Program, Part 2
  May 21, 2013 - This is the second in this series of articles, and the second of two on the Direct Loan Program. Highlighted recommendations from NASFAA’s Reauthorization Task Force (RTF) include: elimination of loan fees, loan subsidies, interest rates, and consoli...
• NASFAA’s Reauthorization Task Force Recommends Changes To Direct Loan Program
  May 15, 2013 - The first article in this series highlights recommendations from NASFAA’s Reauthorization Task Force (RTF) regarding creation of a separate loan program for graduate borrowers, loan disbursement, late origination, repayment incentives, proration of a...