Resolutions Related to Higher Education

B-6. Higher Education

The National Education Association supports higher education as an essential part of the education process. The Association believes that postsecondary education serves an invaluable function for intellectual development, for research and scholarship, for career preparation, and for preparation for life.

The Association also supports access to postsecondary programs for all qualified students without regard to age, gender, sexual orientation/gender identification, disability, race, military registration status, or ability to pay. The Association also believes that postsecondary institutions should not penalize degree-holding students who return to upgrade or develop new skills.

The Association further supports fully funded, guaranteed student loan and grant programs, including fully funded health care insurance. Guaranteed loans should be made available for all students. Criteria for grants should include the total financial situation of the family, other family members currently enrolled in institutions of higher education, and parents'/guardians' ability to contribute financially.

The Association further believes that clear admission and graduation standards, careful student counseling, tutorial and other support services, the right to complete coursework during or after the quarter/semester missed due to documented extended illness, active participation of students in their own learning, and a thoughtfully articulated curriculum can significantly help increase the number of students successfully completing their degrees.

The Association believes that all courses must be offered with sufficient frequency and with a sufficient number of sections to enable students to graduate within the time prescribed for each program. (1980, 2002)

NOTE: Figures in parentheses represent the years when the resolution was first adopted and last amended or reviewed.