Higher Education Act Reauthorization

[Belsnickel]

So this article from the Chronicle of Higher Ed is a couple of years old, but since they've just been doing piddly extensions, this is a lot of the same stuff of importance today. Here is another article from back in May on the issue.

Here are some other industry sources on this sort of thing:
National Association of Financial Aid Administrators
American Association of State Colleges and Universities

So anyway, I was reminded all of this from one of my listservs and an email going out about trying to save the Perkins loan program (which I hate and want consolidated into other programs) and so I figured I would see how you all felt about this act and what you would like to see done with the reauthorization. Here is the Wikipedia entry on the act in case anyone is interested.

I'll let others put in their two cents before making any real commentary since, as an insider, my viewpoint is a bit askew.

[*michaelsean*]

What exactly are you curious about opinion wise? I read the first two articles. It seems like they want to again try to hold colleges accountable for tuition, and make it easier to apply. I'm missing the sweeping changes they are talking about.

My daughter gets the minimum subsidized loan which I believe is $6500. She is a sophomore. We took out a parent plus loan last year, and went through a bank this year. This year's loan is deferred until she graduates. It may even be in her name with us as cosigners. So I don't know much about all the other things as we don't qualify.

[Belsnickel]

(08-06-2015, 05:19 PM)michaelsean Wrote: What exactly are you curious about opinion wise? I read the first two articles. It seems like they want to again try to hold colleges accountable for tuition, and make it easier to apply. I'm missing the sweeping changes they are talking about.

My daughter gets the minimum subsidized loan which I believe is $6500. She is a sophomore. We took out a parent plus loan last year, and went through a bank this year. This year's loan is deferred until she graduates. It may even be in her name with us as cosigners. So I don't know much about all the other things as we don't qualify.

Well, there have been a lot of rumblings about the Federal Student Aid programs being changed. Cutting programs, rearranging them, making them more streamlined, etc. That's what I have paid the most attention to because I deal with all of that a lot. We don't let our Financial Aid group touch the money, so that is my job.

[fredtoast]

This may not be a popular opinion, but I think that public money should be targeted more to productive courses of study like mathc, science, engineering, medicine, law, business ect.

The whole point of providing tax payer subsidies to higher education is that it will help the country as a whole. I don't oppose liberal arts courses. I just don't see them contributing much to the national economy.

[RICHMONDBENGAL_07]

(08-06-2015, 10:06 PM)fredtoast Wrote: This may not be a popular opinion, but I think that public money should be targeted more to productive courses of study like mathc, science, engineering, medicine, law, business ect.

The whole point of providing tax payer subsidies to higher education is that it will help the country as a whole.  I don't oppose liberal arts courses.  I just don't see them contributing much to the national economy.

Actually I hadn't thought of it like that, and honestly I agree.  Subsidizing education for jobs that are in demand makes sense to me. 

[Belsnickel]

(08-06-2015, 10:06 PM)fredtoast Wrote: This may not be a popular opinion, but I think that public money should be targeted more to productive courses of study like mathc, science, engineering, medicine, law, business ect.

The whole point of providing tax payer subsidies to higher education is that it will help the country as a whole. I don't oppose liberal arts courses. I just don't see them contributing much to the national economy.

I'm absolutely with you on this, actually. Things like Pell and FSEOG should be going to students searching for degrees in STEM, education, or other needed fields. The kid going for sociology just to have a degree should not be getting these grants, IMHO. There should be a preference for those that are seeking education and careers in those fields that we need people in.