Melissa Meek, Spring 2009 Features Editor
Congress passed the first revisions of the Higher Education Act Aug. 1 and President Bush signed the bill Aug. 14, allowing more Pierce College students to be able to afford college.
The Higher Education Act, originally written in 1965 under President Lyndon Johnson, was created to make college more affordable to thousands of low-income, military, minority and disabled students. Although it has been edited many times since its creation, this is the first overhaul in a decade.
“In those 10 years that have passed, our world and our country has changed and so has the need for college-going students,” said George Miller, Chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor and sponsor of the bill, while advocating the act in front of Congress. “Today’s students face a number of challenges on the path to college, from sky-rocketing college tuition prices to needlessly complicated student aid and application processes to the predatory tactics of student lenders.
“This conference report will remove these obstacles and reshape our higher education programs in the best interest of our students and family,” Miller said.
A major change would be to raise the amount of the Pell Grant to $8,000 from the current $6,000, and to allow students to receive grants year-round, instead of the usual academic year. This would give students who attend winter and summer sessions to be able to get aid for their fees.
“A lot of people can’t afford college, especially if financial aid doesn’t pay for summer or winter,” said Pierce student Beatrice Negulescu.
For the first time, the bill would give disabled students the chance to qualify for the Pell Grant, as well as assisted work-study.
The bill states it would help colleges to recruit disabled students and help graduate them, along with providing improved materials and facilities. It also establishes a national center to provide services for disabled students, their families and colleges.
Veterans and military families also benefit from the new bill. New scholarship programs will be created as well as support centers, and fairness is ensured in housing to allow active military members to fulfill their duties.
Students will be encouraged to pursue public service jobs with the offer of $10,000 in loan forgiveness. A focus on recruiting new science and technology is also mentioned in the bill.
The bill requires the top five percent of colleges with the highest cost increases over three years to explain to the Education Department.
Textbook publishers will now be required to share the pricing of the textbooks with professors and to “unbundle” materials, so students can only purchase what they need for their class.
Pierce President Robert Garber said many materials have already been unbundled in the bookstore. He states that students are already saving thousands of dollars because of the buyback at the end of each semester.
“It should be what the students need, not what the manufacturers want,” he said.
Negulescu disagreed, saying if professors know the price of textbooks beforehand, they’ll advise their students to shop online, therefore causing the bookstore to lose money.
To help more incoming students, the bill would create a user-friendly Web site to help them and their families by providing tuition costs, more information on majors and simplified application processes. An early estimate of the family’s costs can be calculated based on colleges.
The increased Pell Grant will take effect in 2014. The increased aid will begin within the next year.