The U.S. House Education and Labor Committee on Wednesday held the first of five hearings on reauthorizing the Higher Education Act (HEA). The hearing, entitled "The Cost of College: Student Centered Reforms to Bring Higher Education Within Reach," discussed a broad range of solutions to make college more accessible and affordable to all students.
"The cost of attending public colleges has risen dramatically in recent years. From 1990 to 2015, the median household income increased by 12 percent, but the net cost of attending college increased by 81 percent," said Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) in prepared remarks. "If we do not address the rising costs, not only will we lose our economic competitiveness, but a growing number of students and families will lose out on the benefits of college degree."
Ahead of the hearing, the committee's Democratic leadership released a new paper outlining their vision for updating the HEA, Inside Higher Ed reported. The report, titled "Don't Stop Believin' (in the value of a college degree)," also includes arguments for the continued value of a college credential and criticism for low-quality offerings from for-profit institutions.
Despite the recent skepticism regarding the value of a college, the report cites research that shows the benefits of a college degree significantly outweigh the costs.
"As the Committee begins to debate solutions for the vast challenges in higher education, the findings in this report must guide our approach," Chairman Scott said in a news release. "Rather than diminishing the value of a college degree, we should recognize that all students should have access to the substantial financial and social benefits that come with a quality higher education."
The report highlights numerous proposals for reauthorization, including simplifying the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), increasing grant aid for students, supporting dual-enrollment programs, improving the postsecondary data infrastructure, and strengthening institutional quality and accountability, among other things.
It also promotes bipartisan proposals to expand Pell Grant eligibility for short-term certificate programs. However, Democrats cautioned that such an expansion must guard against "weak policies that enable for-profit institutions to administer programs that result in low wages and high default rates on student loans."
They also said short-term certificate programs must be designed to be "stackable" and serve as a starting point for associate and four-year degrees. "Although not every student will want to pursue a degree beyond a certificate," the report said, "those who do should be able to apply their certificate toward a more advanced degree, especially if the certificate was funded with federal student aid."
Related Link
Inside Higher Ed
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2019/03/11/house-democrats-vision-higher-education-act