Removing Barriers & Expanding Opportunity: NASFAA Higher Education Act Reauthorization Recommendation
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| Title: | Removing Barriers & Expanding Opportunity: NASFAA Higher Education Act Reauthorization Recommendation |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) |
| Source: | National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. 2025. |
| Availability: | National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. 1101 Connecticut Avenue NW Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-785-0453; Fax: 202-785-1487; e-mail: membership@NASFAA.org; Web site: http://www.nasfaa.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 14 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Reports - Descriptive |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Student Financial Aid, Educational Legislation, Federal Legislation, Higher Education, Financial Aid Applicants, Federal Aid, Grants, Debt (Financial), Loan Repayment, Access to Information, College Students |
| Laws, Policies and Program Identifiers: | Higher Education Act 1965, Pell Grant Program |
| Abstract: | Today's federal student financial aid system works for some, but it doesn't work for all. Technological advances, a global pandemic, and shifting demographics have all contributed to major changes in postsecondary education, including more innovative learning models, diversity in delivery of instruction, and piecemeal congressional and executive actions. For all of these reasons, it's prudent, and also well overdue, for Congress to update the law that governs higher education to ensure it meets the needs of today's students. The last comprehensive reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA) occurred in 2008, and the law has been overdue for another reauthorization for nearly two decades. During that time, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) has worked continuously on creating and updating reauthorization recommendations. Beginning with the original 2013 Reauthorization Task Force (RTF) report -- and followed by updates in 2016 and 2019 -- NASFAA's HEA recommendations reflect the work of more than 15 member-led policy development task forces. Since 2019, two pieces of legislation have been signed into law that will bring much-needed improvement to students and the federal student aid system as a whole. Signed into law in December 2019, the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act allowed for direct data-sharing between the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of Education (ED), in turn simplifying the financial aid application and student loan repayment processes for millions of students. Building off the FUTURE Act, the FAFSA Simplification Act, signed into law in December 2020 as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, simplified the aid application process for all students by eliminating irrelevant and unnecessary questions from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), changing the Federal Methodology formula to be more equitable, and making Pell Grant eligibility more predictable for the neediest students. Although there has yet to be a comprehensive bipartisan reauthorization proposal introduced in either congressional chamber, the cooperation that led to the passage of the FUTURE Act and FAFSA Simplification Act is a promising reminder that there are policy proposals with strong bipartisan support. Policymakers on both sides of the aisle have demonstrated a common goal of improving postsecondary access and success for the nation's students, and these areas of shared agreement can serve as the foundation for a comprehensive reauthorization of the HEA. As Congress inches closer to taking a wholesale look at the federal role in higher education, NASFAA is pleased to share its updated reauthorization recommendations. This report offers NASFAA's top priorities, organized by topic, to modernize the HEA so that it meets the needs of today's students and institutions. The complete list of NASFAA's HEA recommendations can be viewed at https://www. nasfaa.org/higher_education_act_reauthorization. |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED680080 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Today's federal student financial aid system works for some, but it doesn't work for all. Technological advances, a global pandemic, and shifting demographics have all contributed to major changes in postsecondary education, including more innovative learning models, diversity in delivery of instruction, and piecemeal congressional and executive actions. For all of these reasons, it's prudent, and also well overdue, for Congress to update the law that governs higher education to ensure it meets the needs of today's students. The last comprehensive reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA) occurred in 2008, and the law has been overdue for another reauthorization for nearly two decades. During that time, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) has worked continuously on creating and updating reauthorization recommendations. Beginning with the original 2013 Reauthorization Task Force (RTF) report -- and followed by updates in 2016 and 2019 -- NASFAA's HEA recommendations reflect the work of more than 15 member-led policy development task forces. Since 2019, two pieces of legislation have been signed into law that will bring much-needed improvement to students and the federal student aid system as a whole. Signed into law in December 2019, the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act allowed for direct data-sharing between the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of Education (ED), in turn simplifying the financial aid application and student loan repayment processes for millions of students. Building off the FUTURE Act, the FAFSA Simplification Act, signed into law in December 2020 as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, simplified the aid application process for all students by eliminating irrelevant and unnecessary questions from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), changing the Federal Methodology formula to be more equitable, and making Pell Grant eligibility more predictable for the neediest students. Although there has yet to be a comprehensive bipartisan reauthorization proposal introduced in either congressional chamber, the cooperation that led to the passage of the FUTURE Act and FAFSA Simplification Act is a promising reminder that there are policy proposals with strong bipartisan support. Policymakers on both sides of the aisle have demonstrated a common goal of improving postsecondary access and success for the nation's students, and these areas of shared agreement can serve as the foundation for a comprehensive reauthorization of the HEA. As Congress inches closer to taking a wholesale look at the federal role in higher education, NASFAA is pleased to share its updated reauthorization recommendations. This report offers NASFAA's top priorities, organized by topic, to modernize the HEA so that it meets the needs of today's students and institutions. The complete list of NASFAA's HEA recommendations can be viewed at https://www. nasfaa.org/higher_education_act_reauthorization. |
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