The House of Representatives today passed a number of bills that will strengthen higher education for students, parents, and taxpayers. These bipartisan reforms will empower students and families to make informed decisions, simplify and improve the financial aid process, and enhance existing support and accountability for institutions serving minority students. Ahead of passage, Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) encouraged members to support the legislation and “put more Americans on a path to success.”
A quality education is crucial to succeeding in today’s workforce. Unfortunately, our costly, bureaucratic, and outdated higher education system leaves too many Americans behind …
We have to do better. We have to open more doors to opportunity and help more Americans reach their full potential. The bipartisan package of higher education reforms we’re considering are a positive step toward achieving that goal.
Together, these reforms will empower students and their parents to make informed decisions; simplify and improve the student aid process; enhance existing support for institutions serving minority students; and ensure strong accountability for taxpayer dollars.
The bills passed by the House today are:
- The Strengthening Transparency in Higher Education Act (H.R. 3178), led by Higher Education and Workforce Training Subcommittee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Rep. Gregorio Sablan (D-MP), will help students gain access to the facts they need to make an informed decision about where to pursue their education. For more information, click here.
- The Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act (H.R. 3179), led by Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), will promote financial literacy by enhancing the timing, frequency, and content of counseling for all recipients of federal financial aid. For more information, click here.
- The Simplifying the Application for Student Aid Act (H.R. 5528), led by Reps. Joe Heck (R-NV) and Jared Polis (D-CO), will reform the federal student aid process to help students make timely financial decisions about their education and better prepare for college. Among other measures, the bill will ensure students are able to use income data from two years prior when applying for aid and receive accurate aid information as soon as possible. For more information, click here.
- The Accessing Higher Education Opportunities Act (H.R. 5529), led by Reps. Heck and Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX), will help students at Hispanic-Serving Institutions pursue a career as a physician, dentist, or other health care professional and enhance existing support for Hispanic students pursuing an education. For more information, click here.
- The HBCU Capital Financing Improvement Act (H.R. 5530), led by Reps. Alma Adams (D-NC) and Bradley Byrne (R-AL), will improve access to and oversight of an existing program that enables Historically Black Colleges and Universities to improve their campuses to better serve their students. For more information, click here.
To read Chairman Kline’s full remarks, click here.
To watch a video, click here.
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