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HEA Reauthorization
On August 14, 2008, President Bush signed HR 4137, the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), which reauthorizes the Higher Education Act for up to six years, depending upon the program. The first major overhaul of the law in a decade, the HEOA garnered strong bi-partisan support in both the House and the Senate. While HR 4137 covers a vast range of programs and issues related to higher education, an important new focus of the legislation centers on attempts to monitor and control college costs, which generated varying degrees of concern in the higher education community. Prior to the bill's passage, CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed weighed in with strong support, noting the HEOA's emphasis on CSU priorities such as increasing the maximum Pell Grant and making it available for year-round study; expanding ACG and SMART grant eligibility to include part time students; maintaining the GEAR UP and TRIO outreach programs; strengthening graduate programs at Hispanic Serving Institutions; and creating grant programs to enhance university outreach to veterans and to improve campus sustainability efforts.
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