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After passing bipartisan legislation updating the national K-12 law (PL 114-95), education advocates and lawmakers are hoping to make similar progress on reauthorizing the main higher education law.

College Costs

The issue: Student loans are near the top of the list for lawmakers to tackle when they reauthorize the 2008 version of the Higher Education Act (PL 110-315). The law expired at the end of fiscal 2014, although its programs have continued to be funded. Net tuition at a public four-year college has more than doubled in the past 20 years, according to the College Board, and student debt tops $1.3 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve Board.

What to expect: Lawmakers are divided on the issue of college costs and the resulting debt. While Democrats have been meeting for nearly a year to work on debt-free college legislation, top Republicans like Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, have said the rising cost is not an issue thanks to student aid. Alexander supported proposals to encourage students to borrow less, apply for federal financial aid and graduate on time.

Accreditation

The issue: This year, the Education Department revoked its recognition of one of the largest college accreditors in the country — the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools. The accreditor gave some colleges the green light even amid evidence that some for-profit schools were fudging job placement statistics and leaving graduates with worthless degrees and six-figure debt.  

What to expect: A Senate bipartisan task force on college regulations lead by Alexander found the process was already micromanaged and suggested accreditors would do better with more flexibility. Meanwhile, Democrats introduced a Senate bill (S 3380) this year that would require the Education Department to set standards on student outcomes for accreditors to use when reviewing for-profit schools.

Higher Education Data      

The issue: When the higher education legislation was reauthorized in 2008, Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., offered an amendment meant to protect students by banning the Education Department from collecting data that could be tracked to individual students. But schools and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle now say individualized information is needed to help students and government officials make informed decisions on which schools and programs have the best outcomes for students.

What to expect: Foxx, who is expected to become the next chair of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, still supports the ban although she has said more information and transparency is needed for students. Meanwhile, lawmakers have introduced bipartisan legislation (HR 2518, S 1195) that would allow the Education Department to collect student-level data, which could give a more detailed look at items including graduation rates and transfer students.

http://www.cq.com/doc/news-4982974?8