At the request of Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, NASFAA submitted comments on the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEAA). The discussion draft, released in June 2014, serves as a marker for future reauthorization efforts. NASFAA’s comments outline areas of support and concern with the goal of informing the final legislation that Congress will continue to work toward next year.
The comments commend the HEAA’s focus on increasing affordability, addressing loan debt, strengthening accountability, and improving transparency. They also offer appreciation for the inclusion of a number of proposals that the financial aid community has championed through NASFAA’s HEA reauthorization recommendations. The following specific provisions are addressed in the comments:
Proposals Supported by NASFAA:
Areas of Concern:
For a full analysis of the HEAA and NASFAA’s reauthorization materials visit nasfaa.org/reauth.
Publication Date: 9/2/2014