The Higher Education Act Redesign

Newflash: Higher education is changing, and it’s changing rapidly. For colleges and universities in the United States to remain competitive, a major overhaul is long overdue. But fear not, because that’s exactly what’s happening.

The time has come for a reauthorization of The Higher Education Act (HEA), and the Congressional debate is calling for significant adjustments in the way of finances and educational quality. Despite the heavy workload that will likely follow, dedicated committees in the Senate and House remain strong-willed in tackling each issue.

Perhaps Jamie Merisotis, CEO and president of the Lumina Foundation, says it best in his article for the Huffington Post, “[…] we must ensure all Americans have access and opportunities to obtain an education beyond high school, and that’s especially important for a growing college majority that is increasingly older, financially independent, and balancing higher education with work, parenting and other demands.”

An article from Education Dive defines four focus areas for the Congressional debate over the HEA reauthorization: Affordability & Financial Aid, Accountability, Accreditation and Sexual Assault & Campus Safety.

The Education Drive article goes into greater detail, but here are my thoughts on each area:

The operational side of higher education will definitely experience a shifted landscape as a result of these political changes; changes that could make or break certain institutions as they look to rebrand, better communicate and differentiate themselves from their competitors.

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