Oppose Bad Higher Education Bill

The House of Representative is expected to vote tomorrow, Wednesday, March 29, on the College Access and Opportunity Act (H.R. 609), to reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA). This bill has been drastically changed since first being introduced and is now being brought to the House floor for a vote without being reconsidered by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Representatives have not had sufficient opportunity to review the revised bill and consider its implications for students. This bill does not provide substantive assistance to nontraditional students, most of whom are women, and fails to invest in programs that help students to complete higher education. Urge your representative to oppose the misnamed College Access and Opportunity Act.

http://capwiz.com/aauw/issues/alert/?alertid=8631196&type=CO

AAUW supports modernizing HEA in order to reflect the needs of the modern college student population and make higher education more accessible to all students – including millions of nontraditional female students.

Our federal financial aid system is designed with the "traditional" college student in mind, yet a majority of students – 73 percent – are considered "nontraditional" in some way – parenting and pregnant, students who are employed full time, older, and returning students, part-time or less than part-time students, and those without high school diplomas – with additional barriers facing them. There are very few federal programs that recognize the unique needs of nontraditional students and provide appropriate assistance to them.

Nontraditional female students, including those who are parenting and pregnant, are often forced to balance attending post-secondary school with work and family care. These women are more likely to attend school part-time, and single mothers will face extra expenses such as childcare.

The College Access and Opportunity Act fails to meet the challenge of modernizing the Higher Education Act of 1965 to meet the needs of today’s students. The bill fails to invest in existing programs like Pell Grants and campus childcare programs which support nontraditional students. In addition, students are penalized for working because the income protection allowance is set at unrealistically low levels therefore disqualifying students for Pell Grants