The HEA (Higher Education Act) is the single most comprehensive piece of legislation pertaining to higher education.  Originally introduced in 1965, the HEA was intended to strengthen the educational resources of our colleges and universities and to provide financial assistance for students in postsecondary and higher education.  HEA is reauthorized every 5-7 years, but the last renewal took place in 1998!

Learn more about the Reauthorization Process

USSA Urges Congress to Make College Accessible:

• Simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

The FAFSA is the gateway to higher education for millions of low to moderate-income families. The current application is complicated, intimidating and a barrier to college access. In 2004, an estimated 1.5 million students did not apply for aid, even though they qualified. A simpler FAFSA would enable more students to enroll in college and finish their degrees.

The Department of Education should collect income information directly from the IRS, which would improve the financial aid process by reducing errors, reducing colleges’ paperwork burden, and protecting the privacy of students. About 2/3 of the income related questions on the FAFSA could be eliminated by using a families’ tax forms.

Eliminating the drug related question on the FAFSA would create additional access to higher education. Federal law states that federal financial aid is to be denied to students who have been convicted of drug related crimes while receiving financial aid. Since its enactment, over 200,000 students have been denied financial aid due to the drug provision. USSA demands full repeal of this provision in the reauthorization of the HEA.

• Preserve Good Programs

GEAR UP and TRIO are vital programs that improve the lives of many low-income students. TRIO provides students with access to mentorship and other support services that are critical to ensure college attendance. These programs include Upward Bound, Student Support Services, Talent Search, Educational Opportunity Centers, and Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement. GEAR UP provides grants to states and to partnerships of low-income middle/high schools, colleges and universities and community organizations.

• Increase Support for Childcare

CAMPIS provides grants to schools to start or expand childcare facilities on campus. The program encourages schools to leverage local or institutional aid and to provide a sliding fee scale for students who use the childcare center.

• Improve Hate Crimes Data Collection

Institutions are required to collect statistics on crimes that involve victims targeted because of their race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or disability and to submit the information to the Department of Education. Yet the data reported often conflicts with hate crime data provided by the FBI. USSA urges Congress to address the discrepancies between hate crime reporting to the FBI and the Department of Education.

Download a factsheet on the HEA Reauthorization to learn more

For more information contact
Angela Peoples
Legislative Director
(202) 640-6570
leg@usstudents.org