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Latest from Washington August 10, 2010 The House returned to Washington , DC from August recess to pass H.R. 1586 by a vote of 247 to 161. President Obama signed the bill into law shortly after it was passed by the House. Please see AASCU's advisory for additional information. The House will return from recess on September 14. The Senate will return from recess on September 13. August 9 President Obama gave a speech at the University of Texas-Austin about his higher education goals. Specifically, the President has established a goal to lead the world with the highest proportion of college graduates by 2020. President Obama's speech and the transcript can be found here . August 5, 2010 The Senate passed the Murray-Harkin amendment to H.R. 1586, providing $26.1 billion in aid to states. Of that, $10 billion would be allocated to saving teacher jobs and $16.1 billion would be allocated to extend FMAP funding to the states for six months. Please see AASCU's advisory for additional information. August 2, 2010 July 29, 2010 July 27, 2010 July 27, 2010 July 22, 2010 July 15, 2010 July 11, 2010 July 1, 2010 June 18, 2010 AASCU is preparing for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in 2010. Please see AASCU's advisory about ESEA, including a link to President Howard's letter to the House Education and Labor Committee regarding this legislation. March 21, 2010 The House of Representatives passed H.R. 4872, the The Health Care & Education Affordability Reconciliation Act. This bill will provide $36 billion over ten years for Pell Grants to address a significant funding shortfall as well as increase the maximum award from $5,550 to $5,975 by 2017. More information about the reconciliation bill can be found here . The Senate is expected to take up this legislation later this week. February 1, 2010 The President released his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2011 on February 1. To learn more, please see AASCU's advisory providing an overview of the Dept of Education budget and the advisory regarding teacher preparation in the President's budget. January 27, 2010 In his first State of the Union address, President Obama announced a number of proposals to increase access to college for middle class and low-income families. Please click here to read AASCU President Muriel Howard's full statement about the President's State of the Union address. December 16, 2009 The House passed HR 2847, the Jobs for Main Street Act. This bill would provide $23 billion for an Education Jobs Fund and $300 million for Federal Work Study. The Senate is drafting their version of the bill and is likely to consider this legislation after the health care bill is resolved. For more information, please click here. December 13, 2009 The Senate and House passed HR 3228, the FY10 Consolidated Appropriations Act, combining six appropriations bills into one omnibus spending bill. This spending measure included $68.2 billion for programs under the Department of Education. Further information about this legislation can be found in the AASCU advisory released in December 2009. December 11, 2009 House passes bill overhauling financial regulations, which includes language requiring certification of private student loans by colleges. AASCU has signed-on to a letter supporting this provision. September 17, 2009 The House of Representatives passed the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA). SAFRA would replace the Federal Family Education Loan Program with direct federal government lending, increase the maximum Pell Grant award, and create the College Access and Completion Initiative Program and American Graduate Initiative. For more information about SAFRA, please see AASCU's advisory by clicking here . The Senate is expected to consider the measure later this session. August 20, 2009 The U.S. Department of Education and the Centers for Disease Control released recommendations for colleges and universities in preparing for H1N1 flu virus during the upcoming school year. Click here to view AASCU's advisory, including additional information about these recommendations. July 30, 2009 The Senate Committee on Appropriations approved the FY 2010 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill. The Senate is expected to vote on the measure later this session. July 24, 2009 The House of Representatives passed the FY 2010 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill, including $67.8 billion for programs under the Department of Education. Click here to view AASCU's advisory about this bill and for additional information. April 30, 2009 The House of Representatives and Senate passed the FY 2010 budget resolution, including an outline of funds that Congress is permitted to allocate during the annual appropriations process. Click here to view AASCU's advisory about the resolution. April 2, 2009 Both the House of Representatives and Senate passed their respective versions of the fiscal year 2010 budget resolution. You can view the AASCU advisory here with links to other informational sources. April 1, 2009 The Department of Education issued guidance and provided the application for states for the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund provided for in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. View AASCU's advisory here . March 11, 2009 President Obama signed the $410 billion omnibus appropriations bill into law. View AASCU advisory here . March 10, 2009 Senate passes omnibus appropriations bill that will fund federal government programs for the remainder of fiscal year 2009. It will now be sent to the President. February 26, 2009 President Obama unveiled his fiscal year 2010 and beyond budget blueprint today. To view AASCU's advisory please click here . February 25, 2009 Today the House of Representatives passed a measure that will fund federal programs for the remainder of fiscal year 2009. The measure, referred to as an omnibus appropriations bill as it contains nine separate funding bills, provides $410 billion. Of that amount, over $22 billion will go to higher education programs an increase of over $3.6 billion from fiscal year 2008 levels. February 13, 2009 Today the House approved the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Senate is expected to vote on this measure later today or tomorrow. The text is divided in two parts. Division A can be found here and Division B can be found here . A summary of Division A can be found here and Division B here . February 11, 2009 Negotiators for the House and Senate resolved differences and crafted the final version of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The final measure comprises over $790 billion in tax cuts and spending. While not all of the details have been released yet, the measure includes increases for student aid, funds for building modernization, and other education spending. The priorities raised by AASCU in its letter can be found here . February 6, 2009 The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has released an updated summary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act , which includes the Nelson-Collins amendment and other floor amendments currently under consideration in the Senate . February 4, 2009 The Senate is deliberating over provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Funding for key higher education programs is at stake, including Pell Grants. AASCU urges its members to contact their U.S. Senators and request that Pell be included in the final bill January 29, 2009 The House of Representatives has passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 . The Senate expects to take up its stimulus bill on Monday , February 2 . Democratic leaders still aim to get a completed bill to President Obama's desk before the start of the Presidents Day recess on Feb. 13. The Senate includes about $4 billion more in spending than the House-passed bill, but the biggest difference is on the tax side, where Senate Finance earlier this week added a $70 billion “patch” for the alternative minimum tax. Republicans are still hoping the final package will be modified more to their liking; President Obama earlier this week told Republicans they will have another opportunity to shape the measure during House-Senate negotiations on a final version. January 27, 2009 The Congressional Research Service has released its analysis of the Proposed Funding for Education in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 . January 16, 2009 The U.S. House Appropriations Committee has released its proposal for the economic stimulus package, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill of 2009. The proposal involves $550 billion in new spending combined with $275 billion in tax cuts. Click here for more information. December 3, 2008 AASCU has brought to the attention of the Department of Education two issues affecting students and borrowers. First, AASCU has requested that the Department change the effective date eliminating the use of veteran benefits in the determination of financial aid eligibility from July 1, 2010 to July 1, 2009. Secondly, AASCU has requested that the Department take steps to assist borrowers who will be facing difficulty in making scheduled loan payments. Click here for the letter. October 3, 2008 AASCU will be working with AGB/NACUBO and with the other higher education associations who are signatories to this letter in order to assist our membership in providing clear, transparent information that adequately conveys how their institutions are operated and financed to all the various constituencies interested in colleges and universities' financial operations--including but not limited to state and federal lawmakers, policymakers, parents, and students. September 30, 2008 AASCU releases a summary and analysis of the Higher Education Opportunity Act
August 14, 2008 President Bush has signed into law the Higher Education Opportunity Act- the first comprehensive bill to reauthorize the Higher Education Act since 1998. Congress passed the legislation on July 31, 2008.
July 30, 2008 Conferees for the reauthorization of Higher Education Act approved the bill's Conference Report. Floor action in both the House and the Senate is expected Thursday, July 31. In the meantime, Congress has approved another short-term extension to ensure the reauthorized version clears the President's desk before the current law expires. Congress has provided a summary of the bill. AASCU will soon provide an analysis of the bill to members. AASCU sent a letter to Congress supportive of the bill's passage and informed its membership.
July 10, 2008 On June 30, the President signed into law his final war spending bill that provides not only one more year of funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, but also funding to expand veterans education benefits for those who served after September 11, 2001. This new law will have a significant and positive impact for student veterans and public colleges and universities. Bill summary. June 25, 2008 Congress has passed another extension to the Higher Education Act- the 13th- which will expire at the end of July. The extension will allow lawmakers more time to finalize a conference report- which represents a compromise between the House and Senate versions of the reauthorization. Congressional appropriators are moving forward with appropriations bills to fund federal programs, despite widespread understanding that the federal government will most likely operate under a continuing resolution at fiscal year 2008 funding levels at least until a new president takes office. Before recessing for the 4th of July holiday, Congressional committees will attempt to pass all- or most- of the dozen fiscal year 2009 spending measures- leaving floor action for July and the months leading up to the elections. After floor action, funding measures will be sent to the White House for signature- where the fate of most domestic spending will likely be a veto, which will send them back to Congress. May 20, 2008 Congress has passed another short-term extension of the Higher Education Act that will expire at the end of June. The extension will allow lawmakers more time to finalize a conference report- which represents a compromise between the House and Senate versions of the reauthorization. May 7, 2008 The President has signed into law student loan legislation to address shifts in the student loan markets. Congress has extended current Higher Education Act provisions through the end of May 2008. April 16, 2008 In response to concerns in the student loan market, Congress has introduced legislation to ensure access to student loans (S. 2815 and H.R. 5715) . AASCU's analysis and recommendations. March 2008 Congress has passed an extension of the Higher Education Act (HEA) that will expire at the end of April 2008 in order to allow more time for the House and Senate to reconcile the differences between their HEA bills. Read More Congress is busy with efforts to reauthorize the Higher Education Act and with the 2009 Federal Budget Read More The Senate budget resolution contains a "reserve fund" to allow for the increase of the federal student loan limit. AASCU opposes an increase to the federal student loan limit. Read More |
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