House Republicans met Wednesday to discuss a sweeping bill to reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA). House Majority Whip Steve Scalise called the meeting, the first sign in months that the bill may be gaining momentum in the Republican caucus, Inside Higher Ed reported.
GOP lawmakers released the Promoting Real Opportunity, Success, and Prosperity through Education Reform (PROSPER) Act, H.R. 4508, late last year. Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), chair of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, has been pushing to get the bill on the House floor since it cleared the committee in December on a party-line vote. Since then, the legislation encountered mostly opposition from higher education groups, student and veterans organizations, and some Republican members concerned about the elimination of Public Service Loan Forgiveness, reported Inside Higher Ed.
Following Wednesday's meeting, AACRAO sent a letter to all 435 members of the House of Representatives expressing our deep concern with the PROSPER Act in its current form. While we acknowledge that the proposed legislation includes some practical proposals, the association strongly opposes numerous other provisions that would make higher education more expensive for millions of students and families, including the elimination of the in-school interest subsidy for undergraduate students, the termination of the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant program, and the elimination of loan forgiveness and other benefits currently available in the student loan programs. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the PROSPER Act would reduce federal aid to students by $14.6 billion over 10 years. Additionally, the legislation would make significant changes in federal higher education policy without a clear understanding of the likely consequences, including weakening federal oversight of fraud and abuse in the federal aid system and revising the return of Title IV funds.
The letter includes detailed comments outlining our main concerns, as well as areas of support, and offers recommendations to strengthen the reauthorization process by revising the legislation to reduce cost and increase accountability.
Also, ten State and Regional members have shared their concerns with Members of Congress regarding House PROSPER Act. Overall, the State and Regional members listed below reached out to 276 Members of Congress from 27 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. Territories were contacted. These Districts have approximately 1121 college and universities.
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Pacific Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (PACRAO)
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Middle States Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (MSACRAO)
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Carolinas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (CACRAO)
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Rocky Mountain Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (RMACRAO)
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Texas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (TACRAO)
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Indiana Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (IACRAO)
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Illinois Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (IACRAO)
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Kentucky Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (KACRAO)
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Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (MACRAO)
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Kansas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (KACRAO)
AACRAO will continue to closely monitor any developments and engage with lawmakers in both parties and chambers as the HEA reauthorization moves forward.
Related Links
Inside Higher Ed
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2018/05/23/house-gop-plans-meeting-prosper-act
AACRAO letter to House Representatives regarding the PROSPER Act
https://www.aacrao.org/docs/default-source/statements-and-letters/aacrao-prosper.pdf?sfvrsn=5af61a72_0