Members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce today introduced several bipartisan bills that will help strengthen higher education for students and taxpayers. The legislative proposals will help simplify and improve the student financial aid process, as well as enhance existing support and accountability for institutions serving minority students.
“Helping more Americans pursue the dream of a college education remains a leading priority for this committee, and I am pleased we are able to take a number of positive steps forward this week,” said Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN). “I want to thank my colleagues for delivering these bipartisan solutions and for their efforts to strengthen higher education for taxpayers, students, and families.”
The bills introduced today are:
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. To read the bill, 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 their education. For more information, click here. To read the bill, 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 the bill, click here.
The committee will mark up these bills on Wednesday, June 22 at 10:00 a.m. in room 2175 of the Rayburn House Office Building. The markup will also include consideration of:
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. To read the bill, 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 counseling for all recipients of federal financial aid. For more information, click here. To read the bill, click here.
For more information on these bills and the committee’s broader efforts to improve higher education, click here.
