The Honorable John Kline
Chairman
Committee on Education and the Workforce
2439 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Virginia Foxx
Chairwoman
Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training
2350 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable George Miller
Senior Democratic Member
Committee on Education and the Workforce
2205 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Ruben Hinojosa
Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training
2262 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Sirs and Madam:
The Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) respectfully submits these public comments on the upcoming reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA) to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Specifically, these comments will address various ways to improve design and delivery of the various financial aid programs housed in Title IV of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (PL 110-315). Improvements to Title IV aid programs have the potential to: expand access to our nation’s higher education system; improve persistence and completion rates among students who enroll in college; improve institutional quality and student learning; and increase affordability by stemming the growth of student debt.
Celebrating its 20th year in 2013, IHEP is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization committed to promoting access to and success in higher education for all students, with a particular focus on populations that have been traditionally underserved by our system of postsecondary education. Based in Washington, D.C., IHEP develops innovative policy- and practice-oriented research to guide policymakers and education leaders, who develop high-impact policies that will address our nation’s most pressing education challenges.
Executive Summary: Suggested Reforms to Title IV Aid Programs
Programs authorized until Title IV of the Higher Education Act (as amended in 2008) include all federal grant, student loan, and work study programs, as well as the various eligibility and accountability criteria and authorizations for federal higher education data collection. Despite overall increases in recent years, financial aid has not kept pace with rising tuition, declining state support for higher education, and stagnating family incomes. Over two-thirds of federal financial aid also comes in the form of student loans, which must be repaid to the federal government upon students entering the workforce. Meanwhile, the process for receiving Title IV aid is often cumbersome and confusing, which in turn limits the overall effectiveness of financial aid in helping students access and afford college. Finally, despite this large federal expenditure – over $150 billion annually – we know relatively little about the outcomes for students who receive federal aid, as well as how well the institutions they attend are serving them. The following series of reforms to Title IV aid could help make the financial aid process more equitable and efficient, while simultaneously providing a better understanding of how effective taxpayer funds are in helping achieving national higher education attainment goals...Read more.