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Legislation and Policy Briefs |
This is where NASPA members can find the most up-to-date information on legislative and policy issues that affect the student affairs profession. NASPA's Public Policy Division and staff will update this page as additional legislative or policy issues affecting student affairs arise, whether from Congress, the White House, or federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Education.
Since the Higher Education Act reauthorization was completed in 2008 and significant student loan reforms were enacted in 2010, the focus of policymakers has shifted to the regulatory process and various deficit reduction proposals. The Budget Control Act of 2011 lifted the debt ceiling and launched a deficit reduction process, known as the supercommittee, which failed to produce an agreement. As of now, automatic cuts to federal spending are scheduled to take effect in January 2013 and, if unchanged, will have a significant impact on higher education. For the fiscal year through September 2012, Congress was able to agree on a budget that made relatively small cuts to Pell Grants and other higher education programs.
With the election approaching, 2012 is expected to be a quiet year for higher education policy. Policymakers continue to focus on the rising expense to students and families of college attendance. The administration is developing proposals that would address cost. Innovative ideas for restructuring the federal student aid program have been proposed by think tanks. When 2013 arrives, there could be significant action on items affecting postsecondary education, including the budget and deficit reduction, student loan reform, cost cutting and accountability initiatives, as well as starting the next reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.