updated on 08/11/05
House Actions on HEA

House Actions | Senate Actions | NEA Actions

Legislation Passed	NEA Lobby Actions
H.R. 3076 Graduate Opportunities in Higher Education Act of 2003
H.R. 3077 International Studies in Higher Education Act of 2003	Read an excerpt (, 7k) from letter of support addressing NEA's concerns.
H.R. 2211 Ready to Teach Act of 2003	NEA sent a letter (, 35k) to U.S. House of Representatives on July 8, 2003, recommending changes.
H.R. 438 Teacher Recruitment and Retention Act of 2003

Legislation Introduced	NEA Lobby Actions
H.R. 609—College Access and Opportunity Act of 2005	Read our letter opposing several provisions of this bill that negatively impact academic freedom, teacher preparation, and student aid.
H.R.4283 — College Access and Opportunities Act	Read our summary of the bill.
H.R. 3311—Affordability in Higher Education Act. See highlights of this bill.
H.R. 3180—College Opportunity for All Act. See highlights of this bill.	Read the testimonial ( 12k) from an NEA member regarding loan consolidation.
H.R. 3039—Expanding Opportunities in Higher Education Act. Bill highlights and opening remarks.

H.R. 4283 College Access and Opportunities Act includes the following:

• freezes the maximum Pell Grant authorized level at $5,800 for the next five years while raising loan limits. While the current maximum grant is $4,050, NEA holds that increasing Pell Grants is critical to expanding access to postsecondary education to low income students.
• provides year-round Pell Grants for qualifying students in baccalaureate programs.
• provides a "merit" based Pell Grant initiative to give extra Pell Grant money to qualifying students who took a "rigorous" high school curriculum.
• eliminates the 50% rule regarding distance education. NEA holds that maintaining the 50% rule ensures that students have access to distance education while also maintaining access to high quality programs on campus, enabling them to have the full range of educational experiences by continuing to value face-to-face instruction.
• clarifies that student aid applicants who have been convicted of drug-related offenses are ineligible only if those offenses were committed during the time they are attending college.
• converts the loan consolidation interest rate from a fixed to a variable rate, which supporters say will allow students to take advantage of low rates as have been seen in recent years, while detractors say students will end up paying thousands more over the life of a loan. The rate used annually would be the same rate as all other student loan recipients are charged in a given year.
• places colleges that raise their tuition and other costs of attendance by twice the rate of inflation for several years in a row on a government watch list (a dramatically scaled-back provision compared to one introduced in the committee last year that would have punished institutions for increases by denying student aid eligibility).
• bars institutions from denying transfer credits to students based on the accrediting agency of their institution through which they received the credit.

H.R. 3311 Affordability in Higher Education Act amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to establish:

1. a College Affordability Index for consumer information and public accountability in higher education;
2. a College Affordability Demonstration Program for supporting innovative approaches to higher education;
3. requirements, as conditions of participation in HEA student aid programs, for institutions of higher education and accrediting agencies with respect to acceptance of transfers of student credits. Expresses the sense of Congress with respect to reducing the administrative and regulatory burden of Federal student financial assistance programs on institutions and such burden's impact on their tuition and fees.

H.R. 3180, College Opportunity for All Act amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to revise and reauthorize requirements relating to:

1. Pell Grants and other student aid amounts and access to higher education for all students;
2. support and educational opportunities for students at minority-serving institutions, including centers for teacher education;
3. post baccalaureate opportunities at Hispanic-serving institutions;
4. TRIO and other outreach programs to disadvantaged students pursuing a postsecondary education;
5. support for working students through revision of student aid need analysis;
6. student loan forgiveness for certain public service employment;
7. relief to borrowers through elimination of origination fees and allowance of refinancing of consolidation loans;
8. simplification of the student aid process;
9. voluntary flexible agreements with guaranty agencies;
10. allowance for state and other taxes.

H.R. 3039 Expanding Opportunities in Higher Education Act covers these areas:

• Simplification of the needs analysis formula and financial aid forms
• Changes to the definition of institutions eligible to receive federal aid programs
• Repealing a ruling that controls the offering of distance education programs
• Programs for minority-serving institutions, TRIO, High School Equivalency program and the College Assistance for Migrants programs.