Speaking Out

The Higher Education Act of 1965

The current Higher Education Act (HEA) will expire during the 108th Congress. This act, originally passed in 1965, is administered through regulations developed by the Department of Education and funds and directs the federal government’s role in public higher education.

The initial act of 1965 included grants and loans for students from low- and middle- income families. In the years since, seven re-authorizations have expanded and modified programs impacting a variety of students. The act currently funds programs such as GEAR-UP and TRIO, Pell grants, and loans such as Stafford and Perkins. With every re-authorization, each program is subject to elimination or to various changes in eligibility, interest rates, and repayment schedules.

The current reauthorization follows on the legislative heels of the largest federal government intrusion into education ever—the Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA), labeled by President Bush as “No Child Left Behind”—and requires that our higher ed members monitor its progress.

Despite the small percentage of federal dollars in the K–12 budgets, the impact of ESEA has been significant. By contrast, the federal government provides approximately 70 percent of financial aid to more than 8 million postsecondary students. Given this background, this reauthorization has the potential to either enhance or compromise the integrity of public higher education and the work that our members do.

Affordability and accountability are clearly among the key legislative concerns. Some in Congress want to enhance educational access by increasing the amounts of grants and loans and expanding loan forgiveness for teachers.

Others believe the federal government provides sufficient funding but needs to provide more bureaucratic oversight. There is also interest in assessing graduation rates and the academic preparation of students in the schools of education.

The HEA is now cloaked in the fog of the 2004 presidential election. The next president will influence the legislation and will direct the Department of Education’s regulatory process. To protect our students and public higher education, we must speak out on both the legislative soap box and the November ballot box!

Mike Ryan, a professor of microbiology at Ferris State University and a member of the Michigan Association for Higher Education, serves on the NEA Board as an at-large director representing higher education.