The Higher Education Opportunity Act: Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act

Summary

The Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA; P.L. 89-329), as amended, authorizes a broad array of federal student aid programs that assist students and their families with paying for or financing the costs of obtaining a postsecondary education. The HEA also authorizes a series of programs that provide federal aid and support to institutions of higher education. HEA programs are administered by the U.S. Department of Education (ED).

In the 110th Congress, the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA; P.L. 110-315) was enacted to amend, extend, and establish new programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA). In most cases, funding authorization for programs extended or newly established under the HEOA is provided through FY2014. The HEOA also makes amendments to a number of other laws. Prior to the enactment of the HEOA, the last comprehensive reauthorization of the HEA occurred in 1998, under the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 (P.L. 105-244), which authorized funding for most HEA programs through FY2003.

Reauthorization of the HEA was considered during the 108th, 109th, and 110th Congresses. While reauthorization of the HEA was being considered, funding authorization for HEA programs had been extended under the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) and a series of Higher Education Extension Acts. Separate from bills to reauthorize the HEA, significant changes to several HEA programs were made under the Higher Education Reconciliation Act of 2005 (HERA; P.L. 109-171), the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA; P.L. 110-84), and the Ensuring Continuing Access to Student Loans Act of 2008 (ECASLA; P.L. 110-227).

In the first session of 110th Congress, the Senate passed S. 1642, the Higher Education Amendments of 2007 (S.Rept. 110-231), to reauthorize the HEA. In the second session, the House passed H.R. 4137, the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2008 (H.Rept. 110-500). Many of the provisions contained in either or both the Senate- and House-passed bills were agreed to by House and Senate conferees in the conference report to H.R. 4137 (H.Rept. 110-803). The House and the Senate passed H.R. 4137, the Higher Education Opportunity Act, on July 31, 2008. The President signed it into law as P.L. 110-315, on August 14, 2008.

This report begins with a brief overview of the HEA, its organization into various titles, and the major programs and program requirements specified under each title. It then identifies and describes selected amendments made to the HEA and other laws by the HEOA. This report will be updated as warranted.