Education

Federal File

November 12, 2003 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Nosing Around

Federal lawmakers won’t need an independent counsel, or an official congressional inquiry, to pinpoint the main victims of tuition increases at college campuses around the country.

Identifying the root cause of those price hikes hasn’t proved as simple a task.

As worries that low- and middle-income students are being priced out of college grow, Republican and Democratic lawmakers have offered strikingly different proposals in Congress on whom should be held most accountable for keeping campus costs in check.

A few weeks ago, Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon, R-Calif., introduced a long-awaited bill that would strip colleges and universities of federal financial-aid subsidies if they continued to raise tuition by more than twice the rate of inflation, beginning in 2011.

That proposal, offered as part of the ongoing reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, reflects GOP accusations that college leaders are undisciplined spenders who pass unnecessary costs on to students. Rep. McKeon’s bill drew an angry reaction from college lobbyists, who say state budget cuts—not fiscal excess—are to blame for rising tuition.

That argument seemed to echo in a bill offered on Oct. 28 by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., who traced tuition hikes at least partly back to the statehouse door. His proposal would require states to maintain spending on higher education by at least 90 percent of the previous year’s level—or lose access to increases in federal Pell Grants, work- study aid, and other federal assistance included in his bill.

Sen. Kennedy’s bill proposes raising the maximum Pell Grant from $4,050 to $4,500; giving students more options for refinancing college loans; and closing what the senator says are overgenerous loopholes in federal loan laws that are a boon to lenders. The bill would succeed at “getting rid of excess profits for banks and making students the winners,” Mr. Kennedy said in a statement.

David Shreve, a senior committee director for the National Conference of State Legislatures’ office in Washington, said states were faced with stark budget choices, given the ailing economy over the past few years. Dictating where they spend money would only punish them needlessly, he said.

“The federal government,” he said, “should not stick its nose in this issue.”

— Cavanagh

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Equity & Diversity Webinar
Classroom Strategies for Building Equity and Student Confidence
Shape equity, confidence, and success for your middle school students. Join the discussion and Q&A for proven strategies.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Disrupting PD Day in Schools with Continuous Professional Learning Experiences
Hear how this NC School District achieved district-wide change by shifting from traditional PD days to year-long professional learning cycles
Content provided by BetterLesson
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: March 8, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: February 22, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: February 8, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
6 min read
Education Briefly Stated: February 1, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read