Higher education is a powerful engine of social mobility, and the benefits to society of more people earning postsecondary credentials cannot be understated. College graduates earn more. They are less likely to be unemployed. They are more likely to vote, more likely to volunteer, and more likely to maintain good health.
The Higher Education Act (HEA) was first passed in 1965 to expand opportunity, so that no student would be denied a chance to participate in higher education due to financial limitations or socioeconomic status. Since then, the U.S. has made substantial progress in expanding college access. College-going rates are rising for students at all income levels and for every major racial and ethnic group, but there are still gaps in college access and degree completion that are holding back millions of American students and our country as a whole.
- Improve college affordability for students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, and other underserved populations;
- Increase institutional accountability for equitable access and success;
- Invest in the development and scaling of evidence-based practices for improving student success; and
- Ensure students’ safety and civil rights are protected.
Click Here for a Detailed Description of the Equity-Focused Priorities We’ll Be Fighting For
What is going on with the Higher Education Act?
Over the last two years there have been many suggestions for how to best update the Higher Education Act.
Read back through our statements, testimony, and analysis of each proposal and our commentary on other pressing issues that we think should be included in an update to this important civil rights law.