Leaders of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Tuesday unveiled a bipartisan proposal to simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and permanently fund historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) and other minority serving institutions (MSI), according to a press release.
HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) and Senators Tim Scott (R-SC), Doug Jones (D-AL), Richard Burr (R-NC) and Chris Coons (D-DE) released an amendment to the House-passed FUTURE Act that would permanently reauthorize $255 million in annual mandatory funding for HBCUs and other MSIs; eliminate up to 22 questions on the FAFSA; allow students to provide tax information only once; and eliminate FAFSA verification process, among other things. The measure would also streamlines student loan repayment by eliminating burdensome annual paperwork for 7.7 million federal student loan borrowers on income-driven plans.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the FAFSA Act saves taxpayers $2.8 billion over ten years which will be used to pay for the permanent funding for HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions, the press release noted.
The compromise amendment comes after months of failed negotiations over a legislative vehicle to extend the funding for HBCUs and MSIs, which expired on September 30. Sen. Alexander blocked numerous attempts to consider the House-approved FUTURE Act—which provided a short-term extension of the money—in the upper chamber and, instead, proposed a long-term solution in a broader package of bills to narrowly update the Higher Education Act. Alexander, who will retire from the Senate next year, celebrated the release of the amendment.
"It's hard to think of a piece of legislation that would have more of a lasting impact on minority students and their families than this bill," Sen. Alexander said in a written statement. "First, it provides permanent funding for HBCUs and other Minority Serving Institutions attended by over 2 million minority students. Second, it takes a big first step in simplifying the FAFSA for 20 million American families, including 8 million minority students, and eliminating the bureaucratic nightmare created by requiring students to give the federal government the same information twice."
"While this funding should never have lapsed in the first place, I'm glad that we were able to reach a deal that provides minority-serving institutions with the certainty of funding they deserve—and I truly appreciate the work done on both sides of the aisle to get us to this point," said Ranking Member Murray. "By permanently extending funding for these valuable institutions and streamlining our student aid system, this deal is a win-win. Now, I look forward to continuing to work with my Republican colleagues on efforts to overhaul the Higher Education Act in a comprehensive, bipartisan way that does right by all students."
Related Links
U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander's Press Release
https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2019/12/senate-education-leaders-propose-bipartisan-solution-to-simplify-the-fafsa-for-20-million-families-and-to-permanently-fund-historically-black-colleges-and-universities-and-minority-serving-institutions
Inside Higher Ed
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2019/12/04/senate-compromise-hbcu-funding-fafsa