 |
||
|
|
||
HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE LEADERS CALL FOR
STAKEHOLDER RECOMMENDATIONS ON HIGHER EDUCATION ACT REAUTHORIZATION
Leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on
Education and the Workforce are seeking comments and suggestions from the
public as Congress prepares for the reauthorization of the Higher Education
Act (HEA), expected to begin early in 2014.
An April 25, 2013 letter
asked for students, parents, college leaders and higher education
stakeholders to provide recommendations for policies and amendments that
should be included in the upcoming HEA reauthorization. The letter was signed
by Committee Chair John Kline (R-Minnesota), Ranking Member George Miller
(D-California), Chair of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce
Training Virginia Foxx (R-North Carolina) and Subcommittee Ranking Member Ruben
Hinojosa (D-Texas).
The members expressed particular interest in recommendations
on ways to 1) empower students as consumers in higher education, 2) simplify
and improve the student aid and loan programs, 3) increase college
accessibility, affordability and completion, 4) encourage institutions to
reduce costs, 5) promote innovation to improve access to and delivery of
higher education and 6) balance the need for accountability with the burden
of federal requirements.
The letter asked that recommendations be specific, including
citing current statutory language or regulations and detailing suggested
changes, with proposed legislative language where possible. Letters should be
sent to HEA.Reauth@mail.house.gov
by August 2, 2013.
MEMBERS
OF HOUSE ASK U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO CEASE ACTION ON PROGRAM
INTEGRITY REGULATIONS
In an April 18, 2013 letter
to the U.S. Department of Education (USDE), responding to the announcement
of a forthcoming negotiated rulemaking on program integrity issues, several
House Republicans and Democrats asked that USDE stop efforts to advance
regulations relating to gainful employment and state authorization. USDE will
hold a negotiated rulemaking later in 2013 to draft regulations concerning a
number of issues, including gainful employment and state authorization.
The members noted that, since 2010, state authorization and
gainful employment regulations have been the subject of legal challenge, with
court rulings blocking implementation. The letter also pointed out that the
regulations have faced significant congressional opposition, including
passage by the House during the last session of legislation to block
implementation of gainful employment regulations. "We urge you to
abandon these efforts and instead let Congress address these issues as part
of the upcoming reauthorization of the Higher Education Act," the letter
stated.
The letter was signed by Education and the Workforce
Committee Chair John Kline, Chair of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and
Workforce Training Virginia Foxx, Education Committee members Robert Andrews
(D-New Jersey) and Carolyn McCarthy (D-New York) and Congressman Alcee
Hastings (D-Florida).
Both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have begun
hearings in preparation for HEA reauthorization (see Federal Update #32 ).
****
|
||
|
|
||
|
The Federal Update informs CHEA members
and interested parties on federal policy developments related to
self-regulation and peer review. Please direct any inquiries or comments to
Jan Friis, CHEA Vice President for Government Affairs, at friis@chea.org or at (202) 955-6126. Copyright 2013, Council for Higher Education Accreditation. All rights reserved. |
||
No comments:
Post a Comment