The House of Representatives last week approved a bill extending student-financial-aid programs in the Higher Education Act through June 30.
Changes to the federal student-loan programs put in place by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 will take effect on July 1, including increased Pell Grants for some students majoring in mathematics and science.
The extension approved by a voice vote in the House on March 14 will ensure that those programs are operated under current law until that date.
The bill also would extend federal college-prep programs such as Upward Bound until Congress approves a reauthorization of the HEA, possibly later this year. The Senate will now consider a similar extension bill.
The House also on a voice vote approved an extension of the Education Flexibility Act, which allows states to waive some federal requirements for school districts that adopt a challenging curriculum. The renewal would be extended until the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act, scheduled for next year. The Ed-Flex extension bill has already been approved by the Senate and will go President Bush for his signature.
