From Campus to Capitol Hill

Changes to the higher education law could mean more money for college. Find out how you can influence the decision.

If you've never paid much attention to politics and often thought, "What does Washington really have to do with me?" then listen up. Capitol Hill just got a lot closer to your campus.

This September, Congress will reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965. This federal law controls the government's major student financial aid programs as well as other initiatives that regulate colleges and universities. It has far-reaching impacts on the pocketbooks and professional lives of tomorrow's teachers.

The decisions Congress makes will impact financial aid, student loan forgiveness programs, and college tuition costs, among other topics. So keep an eye on some of these critical areas during the coming months:

Financial Aid

The Federal Student Aid programs provide more than $60 billion a year in grants, loans, and work-study assistance. Loans account for about 75 percent of student aid while grants account for 23 percent and work-study awards for the remainder. Democratic members of the House of Representatives have proposed increasing work-study funds and doubling the maximum Pell Grant award to $11,600 by 2011 in the reauthorized HEA.

Some teachers may also get a break on their college loan payments. The House OK'd a plan that triples the amount some teachers can slice off their loans—from $5,000 to $17,500. But, so far this loan forgiveness plan is limited to highly qualified math, science, special education, and reading teachers who work for five years in high-poverty schools. NEA wants Congress to offer the program to more teachers and to shorten the eligibility time.

College Affordability

College costs are another huge issue in the HEA reauthorization, says Nancy O'Brien, an NEA lobbyist. Some members of Congress blame skyrocketing tuition costs on wasteful spending by the colleges and believe an increase in federal aid to students won't make college any more affordable.

Mike Ryan, a biology professor at Michigan's Ferris State University and a member of NEA's advisory committee for the HEA reauthorization, disagrees and says drastic reductions in state aid have forced public colleges to raise their rates. State funding covers less than 50 percent of a college's expenses in many cases, he adds.

Accountability

Both preservice teachers and their college programs come under more scrutiny in the new legislation as well. Some in Congress want to link the accreditation of teacher education programs to the number of college students who pass teacher licensure tests. NEA supports the use of multiple measures for judging teacher quality and encourages Congress to require states to collect data only on program graduates. However, a measure that passed the House of Representatives requires states to collect data on students who complete as little as 50 percent of their teacher education program.

What You Can Do

So what can college students do to influence the legislation? First, keep track of HEA as it moves through Congress by visiting NEA's Higher Education Web site. You'll find information about new bills and NEA's recommendations to Congress.

Then, contact your state's senators and representatives and urge them to support increased funding for Pell grants and expanding loan forgiveness options to more teachers. You can find contact information and even send a message to members of Congress through NEA's Legislative Action Center. Finally, organize a voter registration event or invite your local politicians to campus to speak. Since this is a major election year, there's a good chance they will take you up on your offer.

—Mary Anne Hess