Spring Break
College legislation meets opposition
Issue date: 2/14/08
The White House has objected to certain provisions of a new bill that aims to make higher education "more accessible, affordable and accountable" to middle class and low-income students.
The White House released a Statement of Administration Policy on Feb. 6, which affirmed its attitudes toward the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007.
The House of Representatives, by a bipartisan vote of 354 to 58, passed the bill on Feb. 7.
"We hope that the Bush administration will join our efforts to make college more affordable and accessible for all qualified students," said Rachel Racusen, spokeswoman for the House Education and Labor Committee (HELC).
Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the HELC, sponsored the bill.
The administration objected to amendments that would affect the Department of Education's authority to evaluate accreditations and to oversee the integrity of student loans, claiming to be "strongly opposed."
Additionally, the administration believed the Act might prioritize, or possibly restrict, eligibility "to institutions or groups defined by racial or ethnic criteria."
The creation of many new federal programs that are "duplicative" and "poorly targeted" was opposed as well.
The new bill will hold colleges and universities, both public and private, responsible for rampant tuition increases and for reducing costs.
"Despite a considerable federal investment, colleges and universities have continued to push tuition upward," Rep. Howard McKeon, senior Republican on the HELC, said. "We're empowering consumers with meaningful information about college costs and holding institutions and states accountable for keeping higher education affordable."
Despite the White House's strong objections to the bill, the HELC remains optimistic.
"This bill has strong support and enthusiasm from members of Congress from both sides of the aisle, the higher education community and, most importantly, students," Racusen said.
The White House released a Statement of Administration Policy on Feb. 6, which affirmed its attitudes toward the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007.
The House of Representatives, by a bipartisan vote of 354 to 58, passed the bill on Feb. 7.
"We hope that the Bush administration will join our efforts to make college more affordable and accessible for all qualified students," said Rachel Racusen, spokeswoman for the House Education and Labor Committee (HELC).
Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the HELC, sponsored the bill.
The administration objected to amendments that would affect the Department of Education's authority to evaluate accreditations and to oversee the integrity of student loans, claiming to be "strongly opposed."
Additionally, the administration believed the Act might prioritize, or possibly restrict, eligibility "to institutions or groups defined by racial or ethnic criteria."
The creation of many new federal programs that are "duplicative" and "poorly targeted" was opposed as well.
The new bill will hold colleges and universities, both public and private, responsible for rampant tuition increases and for reducing costs.
"Despite a considerable federal investment, colleges and universities have continued to push tuition upward," Rep. Howard McKeon, senior Republican on the HELC, said. "We're empowering consumers with meaningful information about college costs and holding institutions and states accountable for keeping higher education affordable."
Despite the White House's strong objections to the bill, the HELC remains optimistic.
"This bill has strong support and enthusiasm from members of Congress from both sides of the aisle, the higher education community and, most importantly, students," Racusen said.
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