Advocate Online

From Capitol to Campus

What does the power shift in the nation’s capitol brought on by the Democratic wins in the November elections mean to higher education?

Democrats in Congress will probably try to regain some ground in higher education funding, particularly in increasing Pell Grants and reducing student loan costs by cutting interest rates. Achieving success in these areas is complicated by the massive federal deficit Democrats are inheriting and the high costs of the higher education policies they would like to implement.

Early on, the most noticeable effects of the Democratic takeover of both houses of Congress in January is expected to be in the area of oversight, particularly of the Iraq War effort. But also likely to be under the microscope are contracting practices of federal agencies, including Homeland Security and possibly the Department of Education.

During the Republican control of both the legislative and executive branches of the federal government, in the view of many, Congressional oversight of federal agencies fell by the wayside.

Much of the rest of the Democratic agenda is uncertain. Even though the House has passed its version of the Higher Education Act, the law that governs student aid and other federal higher education programs, Democrats might scrap the bill passed by the Republican-controlled House and start from scratch.

The fate of the much-talked about Spellings Commission report is equally uncertain, but Democrats are likely to be interested in some pieces of the commission’s recommendations, particularly the push for better reporting of college costs and more accountability on how students are being educated.