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Hearings Begin on HEA Reauthorization. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held its first hearing of the 114th Congress on reauthorizing the Higher Education Act (HEA). The hearing marks the beginning of efforts by new Chair Lamar Alexander (R-TN) to reauthorize HEA. Tuesday's hearing focused on a report released last Friday by the Task Force on Fed...
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House Begins Work on Student Data Privacy Legislation. The Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education of the House Committee on Education and Workforce held a hearing entitled "How Emerging Technology Affects Student Privacy." During the hearing, the subcommittee discussed possible revisions to the Family Educational Right and Privacy Act (FERPA). Rep. Tod...
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Education Priorities in President Obama's Budget. President Obama released his fiscal year 2016 budget request. Among his requests were many provisions for education.
For higher education, the budget proposals include:
Proposals to change some benefits in the income-based repayment program (IBR) for student loans
Tuition free community college for responsible students whose fam...
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White House Drops Plan to Tax 529 College Savings Accounts. White House officials announced that President Obama would drop his proposal to tax 529 college savings accounts, just a week after the proposal was first made in the president's State of the Union. Revenues from the 529 taxes would have been used to offset the cost of the president's American Opportunity Tax Credit. The a...
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Education priorities outlined in State of the Union. President Obama addressed several education initiatives in his State of the Union address, stating, "In a 21st century economy that rewards knowledge like never before, we need to up our game." He touted positive education statistics, including higher graduation rates and test scores, but emphasized that there is still room to ...
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NCLB reauthorization debate heats up. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan gave remarks regarding the reauthorization of the now-expired No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. He said that the administration would not back away from annual testing as it works to reform K-12 education, according to a report in the New York Times. Annual testing was enshrined in NCLB to provide benchmark mea...
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President proposes free community college. President Obama announced a plan to make two years of community college free, called America's College Promise. The first question asked by proponents and opponents alike was how funding for the proposal would be found. The administration has not said how much the program will cost or where it will find the money. The president intends to ...
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Spending bill proposes few changes for education. The appropriations bill introduced in Congress will provide slight tweaks and modest increases to student aid and other programs. The restoration of the "ability to benefit" program is among the more significant higher education changes within the spending package. The program would allow students without a high school diploma or GE...
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White House hosts College Opportunity Summit. The Obama administration hosted hundreds of college leaders and other officials for a summit to promote new commitments to students. Approximately 500 participants, including college leaders, states, higher education associations, nonprofit organizations and other entities, made commitments aimed at producing more college graduates, hel...
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Harkin proposes reauthorization of Higher Education Act. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced a draft bill to reauthorize the Higher Education Act. Harkin said that his 874-page proposal is aimed at holding institutions more accountable while reining in tuitions and easing loan repayment. Among several new provisions, the bill...
DC Shuttle ...
Hearings Begin on HEA Reauthorization. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held its first hearing of the 114th Congress on reauthorizing the Higher Education Act (HEA). The hearing marks the beginning of efforts by new Chair Lamar Alexander (R-TN) to reauthorize HEA. Tuesday's hearing focused on a report released last Friday by the Task Force on Fed...