III. The UH System - Education Policy Priorities
Reauthorization of Higher Education Act (HEA)
The efforts of the last two years to reauthorize HEA have been unsuccessful due to controversy over several proposals. Towards the end of last year, student loan portions of HEA reauthorization became intertwined with the budget reconciliation process, which also remains incomplete. The UH System supports the reauthorization of this landmark legislation and hopes that a compromise can be reached. There is room for improvement in the current system, and we support some of the proposals discussed last year, such as a change to a year-round Pell Grant, the creation of new grant programs for needy students, and a reduction in student loan origination fees. However, we do not support fundamentally changing the relationship between the federal government and higher education. Excessive federal involvement in institutional decisions regarding tuition, accreditation, transfer of credit, and curriculum content would represent such a change. Additionally, the UH System opposes balancing the federal budget through cuts to student loan programs. We hope to work with Congress to make college an affordable and rewarding experience for all students.
Funding for Student Aid
The Pell Grant program received $13.1 billion in the FY 2006 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Act, an increase of $680 million or roughly 5.5% above the FY 2005 level. The UH System hopes this strong support for the program will continue, but we are concerned that the per-student maximum for the Pell Grant stayed flat for the third straight year at $4,050. The Pell Grant is vital to helping needy students at institutions like the UH System universities afford their education, and we hope that Congress will support an increase in the per-student maximum.
The UH System also strongly supports the campus-based student aid programs (Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants, Federal Work Study and the Perkins Loan program), all of which have been level-funded for the last several fiscal years. These programs form an important part of our ability to offer aid packages to our neediest students.
Funding for Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) funding in the FY 2006 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Act was $94.9 million, roughly the same as the FY 2005 level. The Senate had requested a significant increase (to $100 million), but the House’s lower number won out. Institutions like UH-Downtown (where Hispanics were the largest ethnic group among the student body – 38% in Fall 2005) rely on this funding to help them serve the nation’s growing Hispanic population, which is attending college at an ever-increasing rate. The UH System hopes Congress will continue to provide strong support for this account in FY 2007.
Student and Faculty Visas
The U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security continue to improve processing times for faculty and student visas. UH continues to support a secure visa policy that still preserves transparency of the process and reduces unnecessary delays. Foreign students and scholars remain a vital asset in our nation's academic and research culture, as well as vital contributors to major technological advances.
