Press Releases

House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) and Higher Education and Workforce Training Subcommittee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) issued the following joint statement regarding the administration’s change to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA:

 

Streamlining the federal student aid process has long been a bipartisan priority. This change will help students and families make smarter, more timely decisions about paying for a college education. But make no mistake, this announcement comes at a cost to taxpayers, and it seems the administration has no responsible plan to pay for it. We need reforms to higher education that serve the best interests of both students and taxpayers, and the best way to achieve that goal is to reform the law. That continues to be our priority, and, as we have said repeatedly, it’s time the administration joined that effort.

BACKGROUND: In June 2014, Republican leaders on the Education and the Workforce Committee released a white paper outlining key principles for reauthorizing the Higher Education Act, including simplifying student aid and empowering students and families to make informed decisions. Earlier this year, committee members introduced several bipartisan proposals to strengthen higher education, including the Simplifying the Application for Student Aid Act. Sponsored by Rep. Joe Heck (R-NV), the legislation will help students make more timely financial decisions about their education by allowing individuals to use income data from two years prior when applying for federal financial aid.