Dive Brief:
- Democrats on the House education committee hosted a forum this week about the Higher Education Act, which is years overdue for reauthorization, and heard a number of arguments in favor of increase Pell Grant funding.
- Diverse reports Kati Haycock, CEO at The Education Trust, was among those advocates, pointing out that Pell used to cover 75% of the cost of attendance at public universities and now covers only about one-third, disproportionately hurting black and Latino undergraduates.
- Others said gainful employment will hurt community college affordability because of the threat of sanctions and argued for state incentives to reverse their disinvestment in higher education as well as debt-free college more generally.
Dive Insight:
Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, though at one time expected by the end of 2015, now looks to be on the back burner for at least a couple years. Congressional leaders do not expect to push a massive piece of legislation through in a presidential election year or in the year after, as the balance of power shifts.
While this week’s hearing included several witnesses advocating for increased Pell funding, there was pushback against the idea of increasing Pell grants from those who believe additional federal money has contributed to growing tuition costs. And Diverse reports the idea that schools be held accountable for improving outcomes among low-income and underrepresented minority students was opposed for its potential to decrease access for these students. When accountability measures are too strict, some schools may consider avoiding students who are less likely to graduate altogether.