Statement on Committee Passage of House College Affordability Act

“Now six years overdue, reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA) took an important step forward today. We applaud the House Committee on Education and Labor for advancing a comprehensive HEA overhaul and we urge House leadership to bring it to the floor soon for full passage.

“The bill got stronger over the course of the day, with larger Pell Grants, more effective protections for students attending closed schools, and, with unanimous bipartisan support, better information for students by strengthening college net price calculators.

“Overall, the College Affordability Act will significantly improve college affordability and better protect students and taxpayers from predatory practices and colleges. The bill makes critical new investments in Pell Grants, creates a renewed federal-state funding partnership, simplifies and improves student loan repayment, protects students against low-quality colleges, and improves federal postsecondary data collection and reporting.

“While today’s progress is encouraging, there is more work to do. We look forward to working with policymakers to make additional improvements to the bill as it moves through the full House, and we urge Senate HELP Committee leadership to advance a similarly comprehensive proposal to reauthorize the Higher Education Act.”

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The Institute for College Access & Success is a trusted source of research, design, and advocacy for student-centered public policies that promote affordability, accountability, and equity in higher education. For more information see www.ticas.org or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.