Advocate Online
From Capitol To Campus
The Higher Education
Act reauthorization is still far from complete and may not be finished
this year. Election year campaigning resulting in limited legislative
days on the calendar and the crush of other must-pass legislation may
combine to force HEA and other important legislation onto next year’s
agenda.
Nevertheless, the House of Representatives
charges on, churning out the HEA reauthorization in pieces. In May, House
Committee on Education and Workforce leaders introduced the College Access
and Opportunity Act of 2004, H.R. 4283.
Written largely to open programs to the
for-profit sector, the bill raises many concerns for public universities,
community and technical colleges, and student groups. NEA is working closely
with other organizations to address the following challenges with the
legislation.
First, the bill would merge the separate
definitions of institutions of higher education—non-profit and proprietary—a
significant policy shift that creates far greater competition for limited
dollars that previously had been focused on non-profit institutions.
The bill would also eliminate the “90/10
rule” that requires proprietary schools to prove that at least 10
percent of the income comes from non-federal sources, as well as the elimination
of the “50 percent rule” designed to ensure that institutions
offer students comprehensive postsecondary learning environments on campus
as well as through distance learning technologies.
NEA members can keep up with the latest
developments throughout the summer on the NEA Higher Ed Web site at www.nea.org/he
and voice their opinion at the NEA Legislative Action Center at www.nea.org/lac.
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