Pubdate: Tue, 01 Mar 2005
Source: Daily Campus, The (UConn, CT Edu)
Copyright: 2005 ThesDaily Campus
Contact:  http://www.dailycampus.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2778
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hea.htm (Higher Education Act)

HIGHER EDUCATION ACT DESERVES SUPPORT

The Higher Education Act (HEA) was instituted in 1965 to expand access to
colleges and universities. Congress last revised the law in 1998 and this
year it is up for review again. It must be improved so it continues to allow
access to higher education, especially for low-income and minority students.

One of the main purposes of the HEA is to assist students in paying for
college, mainly through Pell Grants, which do not have to be repaid, and
loans. Originally, grants made up the greater share of government
assistance. Today, loans are more common. Congress must address and reverse
this trend.

According to the United States Student Association (USSA), in 1975 the Pell
Grant program paid for 84 percent of college tuition. Today, it pays for
only 34 percent. This is because, though tuition costs have increased at
rates exceeding inflation, the monetary cap for the program has only been
adjusted at the inflation rate. Clearly, Congress must allot more money for
this program when it reviews the HEA. Congress must also increase grants to
graduate students.

In addition to expanding grants, Congress must address the rising cost of
loans. The average student leaves college with $17,000 in debt. Many loans
are issued through private banks and students must pay origination fees.
Congress should eliminate these fees. It should also develop more loan
forgiveness programs, especially for students preparing for important
careers like teaching and nursing.

Congress should preserve the good programs included in the HEA, such as GEAR
UP and the Campus Safety and Voter Registration Provisions. GEAR UP, or the
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, "provides
thousands of students with access to support services that are critical to
ensure passage on to college." Under the Campus Safety Provision, every
college or university receiving federal funds must submit a crime report so
unsafe schools are not tolerated. The Voter Registration Provision
stipulates colleges must try to register undergraduates to vote. These are
all important programs Congress must protect and fund.

Finally, Congress should repeal the drug-related suspension program included
the HEA. According to the law, any student convicted of a drug-related
offense is denied federal financial aid. However, as the USSA states,
"Education is the best solution for rehabilitation." Students should not be
denied access to higher education because they have been convicted of a
crime, especially because a college degree makes them less likely to turn to
crime again in the future.

Over the years, Congress has lost sight of the original purpose of the
Higher Education Act: to ensure access to higher education. When it reviews
the law this year, it must revise it to once again support the important
principle that education is a basic right, not a privilege.
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MAP posted-by: Josh