With movement currently stalled on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorization in both chambers of Congress, lawmakers have turned their attention to another pressing education matter: overhauling the Higher Education Act.
The postsecondary education law, which expired at the end of 2013, is a sweeping piece of federal legislation that includes the entire student loan system, the Pell grant tuition assistance program for low- and middle-income students, teacher-preparation provisions, and various programs that help smooth the path of disadvantaged students into higher education.
The access and readiness policies and programs, in particular, make the HEA rewrite of keen interest to K-12 school administrators and families.
Education committee leaders in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives seem poised to begin introducing legislation after convening several hearings on various higher education issues, including affordability and consumer information.
