NEA Higher Education - Legislative News - Follow the Action on HEA


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updated on 08/09/2007
Follow the Action on HEA by the 110th Congress

House Actions | Senate Actions | NEA Actions

Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965
The 1998 Amendments to the Higher Education Act of 1965 that went into effect October 1998 are up for reauthorization. The 109th Congress did not reauthorize HEA; now we follow the action taken by the 110th Congress.

Bookmark this page often for updates on the lobbying efforts NEA's Government Relations department is leading on behalf of our higher education members.

House Actions

Legislation Passed

NEA Lobby Actions

H.R.2669 College Cost Reduction Act of 2007

Read NEA's letter to the House of Representatives regarding actions to reduce student debt in this legislation.

NEA commends the chairman of the house committee on education and labor for the changes to federal student financial assistance.

Senate Actions

Legislation Passed

NEA Lobby Actions

S.1762 Higher Education Access Act of 2007

NEA's letter urges a "yes" vote on passing this bill.

NEA applauds efforts to ensure no one is denied access to higher education.

S.1642 Higher Education Amendments of 2007

NEA's letter seeks exclusion of "academic bill of rights" from this legislation.

Read NEA's views on reconciling differences between H.R. 2669 and S.1762.

Related Resources
Reauthorizing the Higher Education Act: Issues and Options, a report from The Institute for Higher Education Policy, provides a thorough and straightforward look at HEA. The table of contents listed below will help to see the depth of information covered in the report.

Chapter 1: People like us don't go to college.
Social and Cultural Barriers to Higher Education Access and Persistence
(TRIO,GEAR UP, Title III, Title V)

Chapter 2: No grades, no admission.
Academic Barriers to Higher Education Access and Persistence
(Title II)

Chapter 3: I can't afford to go to college.
Financial Barriers to Higher Education Access and Persistence — Grants

Chapter 4: I can't afford to go to college.
Financial Barriers to Higher Education Access and Persistence — Loans

Chapter 5: How do student financial aid and tax policy fit together?
Relating HEA Programs to Education Tax Breaks
(Need Analysis)

Chapter 6: Where can I sit?
The Capacity of Higher Education to Provide Access
(Construction, Distance Education, Students with Disabilities)

Chapter 7: Why do college prices go up so much?
Accountability for College Prices

Chapter 8: Do federal spending and regulations produce 'quality' higher education?
The Federal Role in Accountability for Quality in Higher Education

Chapter 9: Is higher education needlessly bound in red tape?
Regulatory Burden

Chapter 10: Can the HEA respond to new priorities?
Serving National Needs Through the Higher Education Act
(Title VI, FIPSE, Graduate Programs, Public Service)

Order a copy of the report from the Institute's web site at http://www.ihep.org/.

New Joint Statement
NEA and AFT issue another joint statement of priorities for the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA). The recommendations focus on the core goal of HEA— to increase access and make college affordable to students regardless of their financial circumstances.

AFT/NEA Recommendations
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA) join forces to state their priorities for the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA).

Recent Reports
"Rethinking Graduation Rates as Accountability Measures"(, 912k), NEA Research Center Update, January 2004. This report explains why the congressional initiatives to use graduation rates as an accountability measure is a bad idea. Look at the data that illustrates how institutional graduation rates underestimate the true rate of attaining a college degree.

"Why Are College Prices Increasing and What Should We Do About It?"(, 961k), NEA Research Center Update, December 2003. This report explains how proposed government tuition price controls would affect institutions depending on tuition revenue for operational costs more adversely than institutions that, historically, have high tuition and large endowment funds.

Long, Bridget T. "The Impact of Higher Education Tax Credits for Higher Education Expenses", Working Paper 9553, National Bureau of Economic Research, March 2003. This study concludes that access to higher education did not improve and the tax credit facilitated tuition increases. Read our summary of this report.

Based on the findings in this Update report, "Faculty Salaries, 2002-03", it's clear that faculty salaries are not driving tuition increases. Over a 30-year period, the average salary (in constant dollars) for all ranks increased 4.6%.

Higher Ed Act Reauthorization Recommendations
In 1998, NEA and AFT joined forces to state their recommendations on distance learning for the Higher Education Reauthorization Act.

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