Senator Lamar Alexander, who chairs the committee that oversees higher education policy, has put forward a package of proposals that represent a narrow reauthorization of the massive Higher Education Act. The bill avoids many accreditation issues that have been discussed as part of HEA reauthorization, instead focusing primarily on the student financial aid. His Student Aid Improvement Act would:

• Streamline the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA);
• Simplify financial aid award letters;
• Increases the maximum Pell Grant award;
• Expand Pell Grant program eligibility to incarcerated individuals and allows its use for short-term programs; and
• Make changes to the federal need analysis formula, allowing increased eligibility.

The package is expected to meet resistance from the minority on the panel, as well as from House counterparts, who seek a more comprehensive reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. 

Senate HELP Committee Summary

Full Text of S. 2557

Prepared by Kristin Berkey and Jonathan Nurse