Higher Education Act Reauthorization: A Comparison of Current Law and Major Proposals

Publication Date: May 2006

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Education

Type:

Abstract:

The Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) includes the federal government's major student aid programs, as well as other significant programs such as those providing aid to special groups of higher education institutions and support services to enable economically disadvantaged students to complete secondary school and enter and complete college.

The HEA student aid programs supported some 63% of all federal, state, and institutional aid awarded to postsecondary students in 20032004 (excluding all tax benefits).

The HEA was last comprehensively reauthorized by the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 (P.L. 105-244). P.L. 109-212, signed into law April 1, 2006, temporarily extended the programs and activities of the HEA through June 30, 2006.

During the first and second sessions of the 109th Congress, the Congress has actively considered HEA reauthorization. H.R. 609, an HEA reauthorization bill, was passed in the House on March 30, 2006. This report provides a side-by-side comparison of current law with HEA reauthorization proposals that are in the Housepassed version of H.R. 609. The side-by-side comparison in this report will be updated to include a column on Senate provisions should a reauthorization measure gain passage in the Senate this session.