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Last week the Higher Education Act passed through the House and Senate
with flying colors, receiving votes of 380 to 49 and 83 to 8
respectively. The bill is both highly anticipated and ambitious. The
original Higher Education Act, passed in 1965, was aimed at improving
college access and affordability, and has traditionally been renewed
every 5 years. This most current version, however, took longer than
expected and has expanded considerably to include nearly 64 new programs,
ranging from student loans to file sharing. While some students and
higher education advocates have criticized the bill for including too
many extraneous programs and regulations, most have praised it.
Expanding Pell Grants, simplifying the financial aid process, cutting textbook costs,
and continuing federal grant and loans programs all bode well for
students in the upcoming school year. The Higher Education Act is also
the first piece of legislation that specifically addresses student borrower protections.

More from Inside Higher Ed
More from the University of Oregon Daily Emerald on textbook provisions
More from CNN
More from the Washington Post
More from the New York Times
More from Reuters
More from the New America Foundation
Read this NSNS post about the Higher Education Act