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FEDERALhearing transcript

Senate Hearing on Improving College Choice Information

Original title: REAUTHORIZING THE HIGHER EDUCATION ACT: THE ROLE OF CONSUMER INFORMATION IN COLLEGE CHOICE

January 1, 2017

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The Frame

What this does

This hearing informs the development of federal legislation that will determine how colleges report data to students and how federal student aid and loan repayment programs are structured for millions of Americans.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

College Students

Students are the primary users of the information and financial aid programs being reviewed for potential legislative changes.

Colleges and Universities

Institutions are subject to federal reporting requirements and regulations that the committee is seeking to simplify.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2017.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing on May 6, 2015, to discuss how to improve the information available to students when choosing a college. This hearing is part of the ongoing effort to reauthorize the , with a focus on simplifying federal student aid and loan repayment processes.

Key Facts

  • The committee is working toward reauthorizing the Higher Education Act with a goal of producing a bill in the fall of 2015.
  • The hearing focused on whether the information currently required by federal law for colleges to collect matches the information students need to make informed college choices.
  • The committee previously held 13 hearings on higher education during the 113th Congress.
  • The FAST Act was introduced to simplify federal student aid and reduce student borrowing.
  • The REPAY Act was introduced to simplify the process of student loan repayment.
  • Legislation is being planned to simplify federal rules and regulations governing colleges and universities based on a previous report.
  • There are more than 6,000 colleges in the United States available to students.
  • Federal student aid has followed students to their chosen colleges since the 1944 GI Bill.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of this hearing?
The hearing is part of the process to reauthorize the , specifically examining what information students need to make informed decisions when choosing a college.
What legislation is being discussed to help students?
The committee is discussing the FAST Act (to simplify student aid) and the REPAY Act (to simplify loan repayment), among other potential reforms.

Why It Matters

This hearing informs the development of federal legislation that will determine how colleges report data to students and how federal student aid and loan repayment programs are structured for millions of Americans.

News Coverage

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Sponsors

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Legislative Consolidation

The committee is actively attempting to consolidate multiple smaller bills (FAST Act, REPAY Act) into a single comprehensive reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.

Connected Entities

personStacy LightfootWitness, Vice President of Public Education FoundationMap →
personTaleah MitchellWitness, Graduate of Seattle Central CollegeMap →
personMark SchneiderWitness, Vice President of American Institutes for ResearchMap →
personDeborah A. SantiagoWitness, Chief Operating Officer of Excelencia In EducationMap →
personLamar AlexanderChairman of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and PensionsMap →
personPatty MurrayU.S. Senator from WashingtonMap →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy20
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz10
    Current news / social attention level

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