[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 129 (Thursday, July 31, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H7658-H7673]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 4137, HIGHER EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY ACT

  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House 
Resolution 1389, I call up the conference report on the bill (H.R. 
4137) to amend and extend the Higher Education Act of 1965, and for 
other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1389, the 
conference report is considered read.
  (For conference report and statement, see proceedings of the House of 
July 30, 2008, at page H7353.)
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from California (Mr. George 
Miller) and the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon) each will 
control 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. George 
Miller).
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the conference report 
on H.R. 4137, which strengthens and reauthorizes the Higher Education 
Act. In America, a college degree has always been the ticket to middle 
class. More and more, our future depends upon our ability to produce 
well-educated and skilled workers to take the jobs of the 21st century.
  Over the past 2 years, this Congress has built a strong record of 
working in a bipartisan way to make college more affordable and 
accessible. Last year we enacted the College Cost Reduction and Access 
Act, which provides for the single largest increase in Federal student 
aid since the GI Bill.
  But we also know that there is still work to do to ensure that the 
doors of college are truly open to all qualified students who want to 
attend. The last time the Higher Education Act was authorized was 1998. 
In those 10 years that have passed, our world and our country have 
changed, and so have the needs of college-going students.
  Today's students face a number of challenges on their path to 
college, from skyrocketing college tuition prices, to needlessly 
complicated student aid and application processes, to the predatory 
tactics of student lenders. This conference report will remove these 
obstacles and reshape our higher education programs in the best 
interests of students and families.
  To address soaring costs, this legislation will increase the 
transparency and the accountability of the tuition pricing system, 
shining a bright light on the prices set by colleges and universities. 
It requires the Department of Education to create new, user friendly 
Web sites with helpful information on college prices and the factors 
that are driving these tuition increases. Colleges with the largest 
increases in tuition will be required to report their reasons for 
raising those prices.
  This bill will also ensure that States hold up their end of the 
bargain in

[[Page H7659]]

funding higher education by establishing for the first time a 
maintenance-of-effort requirement on the States that receive Federal 
funds through the student loan program. This means while we are putting 
in money from the top from the Federal Government, the States will 
hopefully stop taking that money out of the bottom and leaving families 
and students who are borrowing loans to go to college no better off 
than they were before these actions. This is a dramatic change from the 
patterns of the past.
  To better protect students while navigating the often murky world of 
college loans, this bill restores trust and accountability to the 
student loan programs by cleaning up the conflicts of interest between 
the lenders and the colleges. All Federal and private student lenders 
will be required to provide full and fair disclosure about the terms 
and conditions of the loans they offer. And to help borrowers' reliance 
on more expensive private loans, we will help ensure that students and 
families first exhaust the less expensive Federal loan and aid options 
before turning to private loans.
  It will also help students manage their textbook costs. It provides 
students and faculties with complete pricing information before each 
semester so they can shop around for the most affordable deals. For the 
first time, textbook publishers will be required to offer less 
expensive versions of each expensive bundled textbook they sell.
  This bicameral compromise also simplifies the Federal student aid 
application process and provides families with early estimates of their 
expected financial aid packages to help them better plan for their 
expenses a year ahead of the time.
  In addition, H.R. 4137 will make Pell Grant scholarships available 
year-round for the first time.
  It strengthens the TRIO and the GEAR UP college readiness and support 
programs that are critical to helping so many students stay in school 
and graduate.
  It expands funding for graduate programs at historically Black 
colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, and 
predominantly Black institutions.
  It increases college aid and support programs for veterans and 
military families.
  It ensures equal college opportunities and fair learning environments 
for students with disabilities.
  It makes colleges safer for the entire campus community.
  It encourages colleges and universities to adopt energy efficient and 
sustainable practices on their campuses.
  I am confident that this legislation will improve the higher 
education system and make it more affordable, fairer and easier to 
navigate for students and families. Almost all of these students are 
borrowing money. Time is money, and time is effort, and we need to make 
this process more streamlined, fairer to families and fairer to 
students.
  None of this, I want to say, would be possible without the leadership 
and the passion and the determination of Senator Ted Kennedy, and I 
would like to thank him for that.

                              {time}  1315

  Also, Senator Enzi and Senator Mikulski. Senator Mikulski stepped in 
when Senator Kennedy became ill and did a magnificent job of 
shepherding this bill and this conference report through the Senate.
  I would also like to thank all the members of our committee for their 
hard work. And I would especially like to recognize Congressmen Buck 
McKeon, Ruben Hinojosa, and Ric Keller, and their staffs including Amy 
Raaf Jones, Moira Lenehan, and Ricardo Martinez.
  And, finally, I would like to thank my staff for their tireless 
efforts on this reauthorization, including Mark Zuckerman, Alex Nock, 
Denise Forte, Stephanie Moore, Gaby Gomez, Julie Radocchia, Jeff Appel, 
Sharon Lewis, Margaret Young, Fred Jones, and Arman Rezaee.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Higher Education 
Opportunity Act, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, it took us 5 long years to get here today on the cusp of 
the first comprehensive renewal of Federal higher education programs in 
a decade. I am here to tell you that sometimes what we say is true; 
good things do come to those who wait.
  I want to begin by thanking Chairman Miller, chairman of the full 
committee, and Representatives Hinojosa and Keller, the chairman and 
ranking member of the subcommittee, for their strong efforts on this 
product that we have here today.
  The four of us have worked as equal partners in this endeavor, not 
always agreeing, but never losing sight of our shared commitment to 
making higher education in this country more accessible, affordable, 
and accountable. Representative Castle has also been a close partner of 
mine in the effort to reign in college costs, and I want to recognize 
him for his commitment.
  Of course, the House did not do this alone. Senator Kennedy and 
Senator Enzi have worked equally hard, and I want to thank them and 
recognize them for their efforts. Although Senator Kennedy was not able 
to be here in Washington for our final conference meeting yesterday, he 
has had a profound impact on the legislation, and he remains in our 
thoughts. Senator Mikulski filled in for him and did a yeoman's job and 
we want to thank her for her efforts.
  We know how important higher education is, both to individuals and to 
our Nation. A college degree can be a ticket to the middle class. It 
helps individuals prepare for good jobs, and allows them to pursue new 
skills in a changing economy. Higher education also has important 
societal benefits. College education citizens are healthier, more 
civically-minded, have lower unemployment rates, and use fewer 
government benefits. An educated citizenry is also vital to maintaining 
our competitive edge in a changing world.
  Because higher education is so important, we have made it a priority 
to ensure all Americans have access to a quality, affordable college 
education. In addition to making close to $100 billion in financial aid 
available to students, the Federal Government also spends billions of 
dollars each year on aid to institutions, support for college access 
programs, investments in research and development, and many other 
avenues that support higher education.
  Despite the considerable Federal investment, or perhaps, in part, 
because of it, colleges and universities have increased tuition and 
fees year in and year out. The increases have come in good economic 
times and in bad, whether enrollments are surging or holding steady. It 
seems the only thing consistent about college costs is that they are 
going up, and going up rapidly.
  With this bill, we hope to change that. Our principles for reform are 
based on the idea that by giving good information to consumers, we can 
empower them to exert influence on the marketplace. Through the power 
of sunshine and transparency, we are lifting the veil on college costs 
and holding institutions of higher learning accountable for their role 
in the cost equation.
  Those principles of sunshine and transparency are hallmarks of this 
bill, and not just in the area of college costs. We are also letting 
the sun shine in on college operations and quality through enhanced 
institutional disclosure and a more transparent accreditation process. 
There are numerous positive reforms in this bill, too many even for me 
to name.
  Of course, it is not a perfect bill. No bill is. I am particularly 
concerned about the number of new programs created in the conference 
report. Rather than trying to micromanage from Washington by creating a 
brandnew program for every possible contingency, we should focus on 
less red tape and greater local flexibility.
  However, on the whole, this bill is an achievement of persistence and 
commitment. It updates programs to meet the needs of students in the 
21st century. It recognizes the value of for-profit institutions of 
higher education. It promotes distance education, a mode of delivery 
that becomes more important every day as gas prices force students to 
limit their commuting to and from school. And, it uses the power of 
sunshine and transparency to transform all aspects of our higher 
education system. Above all else, this bill

[[Page H7660]]

offers real solutions to the college cost crisis.
  I thank Members on both sides of the aisle for their commitment to 
this cause.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa), the Subcommittee on Higher Education Chair, 
who has done a magnificent job in shepherding this bill to the floor.
  (Mr. HINOJOSA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. HINOJOSA. I thank the gentleman.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the conference report for HR 
4137, the Higher Education Opportunity Act.
  We are near the end of our long journey to reauthorize the Higher 
Education Act. I would like to personally thank all of the members of 
the conference committee, especially our leaders, Chairman Ted Kennedy, 
Chairwoman Mikulski, Senator Enzi, Chairman George Miller, 
Representative Buck McKeon, and Representative Ric Keller, for their 
commitment to producing a bipartisan, forward-looking bill that will 
update our existing higher education programs and address emerging 
needs.
  I thank all the committee staff members in both the majority and 
minority who worked with great commitment to getting the job done. They 
had a mindset that told me that they didn't know it couldn't be done, 
``and that is why we did it.''
  In the Higher Education Opportunity Act, we are taking significant 
steps to improve our student aid delivery system, ensure the integrity 
of our student loan programs, and provide students and families with 
the tools that they need to make informed choices about which college 
to attend and how to finance it. These are complex issues, and on a 
bipartisan, bicameral basis we have come together to offer some 
practical solutions. We couldn't have done it if we had not worked 
together.
  I am particularly proud of the provisions that will help our veterans 
and active duty military have full access to the education benefits 
that are due to them. The provision to establish veterans' centers and 
veteran student support teams on college campuses will help our 
veterans get the full benefit of the GI bill expansion that we just 
enacted.
  Finally, I would like to highlight the great progress we have made in 
strengthening minority serving institutions. After 10 years of waiting, 
Hispanic serving institutions will have support for graduate programs 
leading to masters and doctoral degrees. We are addressing the urgent 
needs for teachers and college faculty with an emphasis on building the 
capacity of minority serving institutions to meet this need. We will 
leverage minority serving institutions to engage more youth in science 
and technology. The Higher Education Opportunity Act represents real 
progress for our communities.
  In closing, I would like to thank all of my colleagues for helping us 
reach this point. I hope we can get this legislation, which measures 
over one foot, with over 1,100 pages, to the President's desk as soon 
as possible.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the conference report for 
H.R. 4137, the Higher Education Opportunity Act.
  We are near the end of our long journey to reauthorize the Higher 
Education Act. I would like to personally thank all of the members of 
the conference committee--especially our leaders Chairman Kennedy, 
Chairwoman Mikulski, Senator Enzi, Chairman Miller, Representative 
McKeon, and Representative Keller--for their commitment to producing a 
bipartisan, forward-looking bill that will update our existing higher 
education programs and address emerging needs.
  This has been an enormous undertaking. The last reauthorization of 
the Higher Education act took place during my first term in Congress 
over 10 years ago.
  We began this Congress with a series of hearings focused on the steps 
we needed to take to improve access and affordability in higher 
education and to position our Nation and our students too at the 
leading edge of the global economy. We asked the higher education 
community and all of our members to come forward with new ideas. This 
bill reflects the creativity and innovation that makes a U.S. college 
education sought after in all parts of the world.
  Last fall, we enacted into law the largest increase in Federal 
student aid since the GI bill with the College Cost Reduction Act.
  In the Higher Education Opportunity Act, we are taking significant 
steps to improve our student aid delivery system, ensure the integrity 
of our student loan programs, and provide students and families with 
the tools that they need to make informed choices about which college 
to attend and how to finance it. These are complex issues, and on a 
bipartisan, bicameral basis we have come together to offer some 
practical solutions.
  I am particularly proud of the provisions that will help our veterans 
and active duty military have full access to the education benefits 
that are due to them. The provision to establish veterans' centers and 
veteran student support teams on college campuses will help our 
veterans get the full benefits of the GI bill expansion that we just 
enacted.
  Finally, I would like to highlight the great progress we have made in 
strengthening minority-serving institutions. With over 40 percent of 
our public school children being racial or ethnic minorities and nearly 
half of all minority students attending minority-serving institutions, 
we are taking some very important steps in this legislation to build 
our capacity in this critical area. After 10 years of waiting, 
Hispanic-Serving Institutions will have support for graduate programs. 
We built on the foundation that we established in the College Cost 
Reduction and Access Act for Asian and Pacific Islander-serving 
institutions, predominantly Black Colleges and Universities, tribally-
controlled colleges and universities, and Historically Black Colleges 
and Universities. We are addressing the urgent need for teachers and 
college faculty with an emphasis on building the capacity of minority-
serving institutions to meet this need. We will leverage minority-
serving institutions to engage more youth in the sciences and 
technology. The Higher Education Opportunity Act represents real 
progress for our communities
  In closing, I would like to thank all of my colleagues for helping us 
reach this point. I hope that we can get this legislation to the 
President's desk as soon as possible.
  Mr. McKEON. I yield now to the subcommittee ranking member, the 
gentleman from Florida, Mr. Ric Keller, 4 minutes.
  Mr. KELLER of Florida. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, as the ranking member on the House Higher Education 
Subcommittee and a member of the conference committee, I rise today in 
strong support of the bipartisan Higher Education Opportunity Act, 
which is the first reauthorization of the Higher Education Act in 10 
years.
  I support this legislation for three reasons.
  First, it allows year-round Pell Grants for students who wish to 
complete their education more quickly.
  Second, it reduces the burdensome red tape on students and families 
by providing a much shorter, simpler application for Federal student 
financial aid.
  And, third, it includes my legislation to curb wasteful spending by 
closing a loophole that had allowed convicted child predators to 
receive Federal financial aid to take college courses. I am going to 
limit my remarks today to the wasteful spending issue.
  It is a national embarrassment that we are wasting taxpayer dollars 
for child molesters and rapists to take college courses, while hard-
working young people from lower and middle income families are flipping 
hamburgers to pay for college.
  I have been working to close this loophole for years, and today, the 
most insane, wasteful spending program in America comes to an end. This 
legislation ensures that taxpayer money for Pell Grants will go to low 
and middle income students, not dangerous sexual predators. Let me give 
you a real-life example.
  James Sturtz is one of the most violent sexual predators in America 
and he is currently locked up in a Wisconsin facility. He was convicted 
and sent to prison for raping a 4-year-old girl. After being released 
from prison, he raped a woman at knife-point and was sent to prison a 
second time. After being released, he met a college student waiting for 
a bus, persuaded her to get in his car, and then raped her at knife-
point. He was then sent back to prison for a third time; and after his 
sentence ended in 2006 he was locked up in a civil confinement center, 
to be held there indefinitely.
  Sturtz and several other locked-up sexual predators decided to 
exploit this civil confinement loophole and obtained thousands of 
dollars in Federal Pell Grants to take college courses like

[[Page H7661]]

algebra through the mail. Then, Sturtz and two-thirds of the other 
inmates dropped their classes and used our taxpayer money to buy blue 
jeans, music CDs, movie DVDs, radios, television sets, and DVD players. 
Of course, even if they hadn't dropped their classes, there is zero 
evidence that violent sexual predators who take algebra and calculus 
classes have lower recidivism rates.
  How did this loophole happen in the first place? Prison inmates have 
been ineligible for Pell Grants since 1994. In 20 States, including 
Florida and Wisconsin, they wisely hold the most violent repeated 
sexual predators indefinitely in civil confinement centers, after they 
have served their regular prison sentence, because they are likely to 
repeat their crimes if released back into society.
  For example, in my home State of Florida, 54 violent sexual predators 
obtained over $200,000 in Pell Grants at taxpayer expense in 1 year 
alone. Similar expenditures in the other 20 States with civil 
confinement means millions of dollars being wasted. Until now.
  This was a team effort. I would like to especially thank Ranking 
Member Buck McKeon, Chairman George Miller, as well as the other 
members of the conference committee and our entire hard-working 
professional staff members for working in a bipartisan spirit to 
include this provision and so many other worthy provisions in this 
legislation.
  I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to reauthorize the 
Higher Education Act and vote ``yes'' on H.R. 4137.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. I yield to the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Shays) for a unanimous consent request.
  (Mr. SHAYS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the conference report to H.R. 
4137, the College Access and Affordability Act.
  Higher education is not a luxury. It is a public good.
  Today, we have an opportunity to expand college access, increase 
student aid, and make institutions and lenders more accountable to the 
students they serve.
  I believe quality education is the foundation of our nation's ability 
to compete in a global economy.
  Unfortunately, the skyrocketing cost of college has created a 
significant barrier for many students. It is unacceptable that in 2005, 
the price of college was equal to 71.3 percent of household income for 
the bottom fifth of the population.
  I am especially pleased H.R. 4137 will incrementally increase the 
maximum Pell award for students to $8,000 in 2014.
  Two-thirds of four-year undergraduate students graduate with debt, 
and the average student loan debt among graduating seniors is $19,237.
  I am also grateful this conference report includes an amendment 
offered by Representative Jim Moran and myself, to study how student 
debt levels impact a graduate's decision to enter into a public service 
career.
  In the next ten years, 90 percent of our nation's federal executives 
will be over the age of 50 and nearing retirement.
  The study will include: an assessment of current recruiting and 
retaining challenges; an evaluation of existing federal programs and 
whether additional programs could increase recruitment rates; 
recommendations for pilot programs that would increase recruitment 
rates.
  The time to recognize and encourage an increased commitment to public 
service is now. According to the Higher Education Research Institute, 
two-thirds of the 2005 freshman class at institutions of higher 
education expressed a desire to serve others, the highest rate in a 
generation. Furthermore, applications to Teach for America and City 
Year have increased, and religious missions involving young Americans 
have increased dramatically.
  Congressman Moran and I have also introduced the Public Service 
Academy Act, modeled after our existing military academies, to create 
the first national civilian institution of higher education in the 
United States. The public service academy would provide students a 
competitive, federally subsidized, public service-driven undergraduate 
education. In return for a 4-year liberal arts education, students 
would be required to serve our country for 5 years in the public sector 
after graduation.
  The Public Service Academy would strengthen and protect the United 
States by creating a corps of well-trained, highly-qualified civilian 
leaders willing to devote themselves to leadership through patriotic 
public service.
  It is alarming to think, in this period of economic uncertainty, we 
would be willing to provide anything less than the highest quality 
education to citizens of our Nation.
  Access to higher education is critical to maintaining our global 
competitiveness.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. I yield 1 minute to the gentlelady 
from California (Mrs. Davis).
  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I represent 100,000 college 
students and eight colleges and universities in the San Diego region, 
and obviously I am very interested in the provisions in the conference 
report for College Opportunity and Affordability Act. And I am proud of 
this agreement for many of the reasons that have been given, but I am 
proud of it for these reasons also:
  It makes servicemembers eligible for more financial aid. It stops 
student loan interest from piling up when servicemembers are off 
serving our country. And, it guarantees our men and women in uniform 
will not use their academic standing when they return. And, also, 
because it allows students to receive work study payments when they are 
prevented from working by natural disasters such as we had with the 
wildfires in the San Diego region.
  I want to thank Chairman Miller, Ranking Member McKeon, Chairman 
Kennedy, and Ranking Member Enzi for their hard work. I urge the 
adoption of this conference report.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. I would just like to thank the 
gentlewoman for all of her work on behalf of military families, making 
sure that they did not pay an additional price for being in the 
military and lose their eligibility, for her work on that amendment.
  Mr. McKEON. I yield now to the gentleman from Wisconsin, our senior 
member on the committee, Mr. Petri, 2 minutes.

                              {time}  1330

  Mr. PETRI. I am happy to support the provisions in this conference 
report that put in place a number of reforms that will improve access 
to higher education, increase transparency in college costs, and 
provide more accountability in the Federal student loan programs.
  One of my top priorities over the years has been to ensure students 
access to Federal aid and to provide greater budget responsibility to 
taxpayers with regard to the management of Federal student aid funds. 
This legislation incorporates several provisions aimed at protecting 
students' financial interests.
  Furthermore, I strongly support the sunshine measures that will 
provide greater transparency about relationships between lenders and 
schools. I am pleased that the conference report also retains the 
language that I offered to provide greater fiscal accountability at the 
Department of Education by requiring a Department of Justice review of 
any settlement with lenders that exceeds $1 million.
  The conference report also contains a critical first step toward the 
implementation of my Income-Dependent Education Assistance Act which 
would create a new direct consolidated loan for student borrowers that 
would be pegged to their income after graduation and collected by the 
IRS.
  It also includes several provisions that Representative Grijalva and 
I first proposed in the House that would establish a strong national 
effort to improve the accessibility of instructional materials for 
postsecondary students with visual impairments and other print 
disabilities.
  Though there is that much is positive in this conference report, I am 
disappointed that we failed to adequately address the problems that 
currently exist in the accreditation system. For many years I have 
argued that accreditation fails to protect the public interest because 
it is costly and intrusive and does not ensure educational quality. I 
believe the reforms included in this bill will do little to improve the 
system and may, in fact, have made it even worse.
  Again, I want to thank my colleagues for working so hard over the 
years to reauthorize these important higher education programs. I 
support today's conference report and look forward to making further 
improvements in the future.

[[Page H7662]]

  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman 
from Connecticut (Mr. Courtney) who has been so helpful on this 
legislation, both in teacher education and in community service and the 
work study programs.
  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, from 2001 to 2006, the cost of higher 
education exploded in this country. It went up 40 percent, destroying 
the dreams of too many young people and damaging our economy. During 
that time period, the Congress turned a deaf ear to that issue. The 
Pell Grant program had been basically frozen, and the interest rates 
for the Stafford Student Loan Program incredibly was increased.
  Last year, under Mr. Miller's leadership, we passed the College Cost 
Reduction Act which addressed those two problems. This year we are 
finally addressing a piece of legislation that was 5 years overdue, the 
Higher Education Reauthorization Act which, as the prior speakers have 
said, will do many good things in terms of holding colleges and 
universities accountable for high costs, and also cleaning up unethical 
lending practices which had cropped up, and many students, so desperate 
to find access to money, fell victim to.
  I urge support for this conference report which, again, has been long 
overdue for 5 years, and applaud the leadership of Mr. Miller, Mr. 
Kennedy and Mr. Hinojosa in leading the Congress in a new direction.
  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield now to the gentlelady 
from Washington, a member of the committee, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, 5 
minutes.
  Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. Mr. Speaker, as someone who is still paying 
off some student loans, I understand how difficult it is for parents 
and students as they face dramatic increases in college costs. And as 
the first in my family to the graduate from college, I know firsthand 
the value and the importance of a good education. It truly is the 
doorway to success, and is a critical piece to making America more 
competitive in the global economy.
  I am pleased how this bill does aim to improve America's 
competitiveness. It seeks to make college more affordable, and it 
cracks down on the fraudulent practice of ``diploma mills'' where 
people manufacture fake diplomas.
  Since being elected to Congress I have worked to improve America's 
competitiveness, and I believe it is important that we are focusing 
more on math and science education. And through the Mathematics and 
Science Scholars Program, this legislation will refocus the program to 
award graduate and postgraduate scholarships to U.S. students studying 
math, science, engineering or computer science.
  In addition, this bill incorporates an adjunct content specialist 
program, which I think is very important to bringing the real world 
experience into the classroom, and it provides grants to school 
districts to recruit adjunct content specialists, these experts in 
math, science and critical foreign languages.
  I believe our education can be improved if we allow smart and 
successful people like Bill Gates to spend time in the classroom. 
Wouldn't it be great to have someone like Bill Gates in the classroom 
helping inspire our high school students?
  However, we are not simply seeing a shortage of engineers and 
scientists. We also need welders, plumbers, auto mechanics, lab 
technicians, doctors, nurses, pharmacy techs.
  In my eastern Washington district, manufacturers turn away job 
applicants because prospective employees don't have the math skills 
needed for precision manufacturing. These are good paying jobs, on 
average, $42,000 a year. And most of them come with good medical and 
retirement benefits.
  Along with increasing our competitiveness, the rising cost of college 
must be addressed. We must increase support for loan and grant programs 
that give students additional options and opportunities for post-high 
school education. College tuition continues to dramatically increase, 
clearly impacting students' ability to afford college.
  Each year, approximately $9 million is disbursed to students in 
Eastern Washington colleges and universities through the Perkins Loan 
program, and I am pleased that the bill we are considering today 
increases funding for Perkins loan programs.
  I am also pleased that this bill opens wider the door for students 
with intellectual disabilities. For the first time, these students will 
be eligible for Pell Grants, Supplemental Educational Opportunity 
Grants and the Federal Work Study Program.
  Today businesses are increasing more opportunities to employ people 
with intellectual disabilities to become employed so that these 
employees can earn higher wages, allowing them to realize their dreams 
and become self-sufficient.
  The conference report builds on the successful delivery of 
educational services to these students made possible through the 
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act.
  Finally, I am pleased we are working to eradicate the practice of 
diploma mills. Provisions in this bill increase transparency to give 
consumers more information and require the Secretary to continue her 
efforts to further crack down on fraudulent diploma mills.
  In Spokane, purchasers of these phony degrees from a local diploma 
mill included at least 135 Federal Government employees. We need to 
protect the integrity of our higher education system and the diplomas 
so many of us have worked hard to earn.
  I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their efforts on this 
important bill. We must do all we can to prepare our kids for the 
opportunities life presents. If we equip them with a solid education 
and the workforce skills, America will continue to lead in innovation 
and excellence.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman 
from Illinois (Mr. Davis), who has been so helpful on this legislation 
with respect to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and the 
TRIO program.
  (Mr. DAVIS of Illinois asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I 
support the passage of the conference report.
  I commend full Committee Chairman Miller, Subcommittee Chairman 
Hinojosa, Ranking Members McKeon and Keller for their leadership on 
this bill. I extend my deepest thanks to the chairman for his 
commitment to enhancing minority education and for his steadfast 
support on multiple issues that were especially important to me and to 
institutions serving the black community.
  I would be remiss if I did not thank the Education and Labor staff, 
who so skillfully worked to establish the many wonderful programs that 
will improve higher education for so many.
  There are multiple provisions of this bill that will benefit Chicago 
and other places throughout the country. I am especially pleased that 
the bill strengthens minority-serving institutions, especially HBCUs 
and Predominantly Black Institutions, or PBIs. I am very glad that the 
bill strengthens the TRIO programs that serve first-generation low-
income students, and the prohibition on the Department of Education's 
Absolute Priority within the Upward Bound program.
  At this time I would like to engage in a colloquy with Chairman 
Miller.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. If the gentleman would yield, I 
would be happy to engage in a colloquy with the gentleman from Illinois 
about section 725.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I yield.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. I concur completely with the 
gentleman's understanding. The conferees intend that this 
reauthorization is to strengthen the ability of both the Historically 
Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions to 
develop masters professionals. For this reason, the conferees intend 
that any appropriated funds be divided proportionately between the 
sections 723 and 724.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I thank the chairman of the committee for his 
clarification and appreciate his and the conferees commitment to 
writing the statute to promote unity among the higher education 
community that serves mostly African American students.
  It is an excellent bill. I urge its passage.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I support the passage of 
the conference report for H.R. 4137, which authorizes the Higher

[[Page H7663]]

Education Opportunity Act. This bill reauthorizes the higher education 
act for the first time in 10 years. I commend full-Committee Chairman 
George Miller and sub-Committee Chairman Ruben Hinojosa for their 
leadership on this bill. I extend my deepest thanks to the Chairman for 
his commitment to enhancing minority education and for his steadfast 
support on multiple issues that were especially important to me and to 
institutions serving the Black community. I would be remiss if I did 
not thank the Education and Labor staff who so skillfully advocated to 
establish so many wonderful programs that will improve higher education 
opportunities for so many.
  There are multiple provisions of this bill that will benefit Chicago 
and Illinois. To begin, this bill greatly expands access to higher 
education for low-income and minority students. By increasing Pell 
grants to $8,000, extending the grants to year-round, and allowing 
part-time students to qualify for Pell grants, this bill will enable 
many more of my constituents to attend college.
  I am especially pleased that the bill authorizes programs for both 
undergraduate and masters programs at Predominantly Black Institutions. 
PBIs represent a growing cadre of four-year and two-year institutions 
that serve as the access point for a growing number of urban and rural 
Black students whose family and financial situations limit their 
ability to gain access to college in many states. Many of these 
students come from low-income families and are also ``first 
generation'' college students, whose educational preparation for 
college and family finances present special challenges to educational 
success. PBIs are not eligible to receive funding under the HBCU 
capacity-building funds given that PBIs were not established prior to 
1964. The undergraduate PBI program will provide federal support to 
strengthen the institutional capacity of schools to attract, retain, 
and graduate their students. Chicago has many PBIs that provide high 
quality education for many low-income, minority students, including: 
Chicago State University, Malcolm X College, Harold Washington College, 
Olive-Harvey College, Kennedy King College, East-West University, 
Robert Morris College, and South Suburban College. In addition, the new 
PBI masters program promotes the development of more Black masters-
level professionals in the science and health fields by providing 
specific institutional support. For example, Chicago State University 
will qualify for valuable aid to strengthen its masters programs in the 
biological sciences and computer science as well as strengthen its 
first professional program in pharmaceutical science. Together, these 
new PBI programs will enhance the access for low-income African 
American students to higher education.
  I also am pleased that the bill strengthens both HBCU undergraduate 
and graduate education. As a graduate of an HBCU, I am very familiar 
with the benefits these institutions provide to low-income students. 
The new masters program for HBCUs in Title VII fills a void in current 
law. Title III, Part B includes institutional support for undergraduate 
education at HBCUs, and Section 326 provides institutional support for 
doctoral and first professional programs at HBCUs. The new Section 723 
completes this continuum by supporting HBCUs with masters programs in 
the fields of science and health as well as clarifies the congressional 
intent that the existing Section 326 pertains to doctoral and first 
professional programs.

  Further, the bill strengthens the TRIO programs, which are key 
supports for low-income, first-generation college students to prepare 
and succeed in higher education. Importantly, the bill institutes an 
appeals process when applicants have evidence of errors in the handling 
or scoring of the applications. A number of Chicago institutions 
unfortunately have had difficulties in the last few years with denial 
of applications for suspect reasons and due to glitches with the 
Grants.gov system. Having a procedure in place to allow due process for 
these applicants is an important element to ensuring a fair application 
process. Further, the bill prohibits the implementation of the absolute 
priority that the Department imposed on the Upward Bound program, 
forcing programs to dramatically alter the nature of the services 
provided. I am happy that any future evaluations of Upward Bound will 
exclude the cohorts of students chosen under this well-intentioned but 
ill-conceived priority.
  Chicago also has many for-profit institutions of higher education 
that serve an important role in educating students. I am glad that the 
Conference Report provides additional flexibility for these 
institutions in terms of the 90/10 rule, including flexibility in the 
types of revenue that count toward the 10 percent, the Departmental 
response to violations of the rule, and exceeding loan limits as a 
result of the enactment of the Ensuring Continued Access to Student 
Loans Act. Further, I support the increased monitoring and reporting 
requirements of for-profit institutions as a means to provide 
transparency and safeguards for students.
  I am happy that the bill emphasizes the need to support populations 
that are underrepresented in higher education. One such population 
about which I am particularly concerned is African American men. The 
under-representation of minority males, especially African American 
men, is a matter of public record that is reinforced by high drop-out 
rates in urban and rural school districts, and lower participation/
enrollment rates of these groups in colleges and universities. The 
American Council on Education's Minorities in Higher Education Annual 
Reports have consistently documented these factors for almost two 
decades. For example, although the enrollment of black men in higher 
education increased between 2000 to 2001, less than 3 percent of black 
men received a combination of associate's, bachelor's, or master's 
degrees. Clearly, ensuring success of students in higher education 
necessitates examining and promoting the success of minority males. To 
this end, the Conference Report includes a study of minority male 
access to and success in higher education that will provide key data to 
lawmakers so that we can better tailor our policies to promote minority 
men in higher education. The bill also encourages the involvement of 
individuals--such as African American men--who are from populations 
underrepresented in higher education in the TRIO programs, in teacher 
residency programs, in teacher preparation courses at minority serving 
institutions, and in loan forgiveness programs. These provisions will 
help ensure that the higher education community better reflects the 
diversity of our Nation.
  Another population about which I am particularly concerned is 
individuals in prison. After Congress barred prisoners from receiving 
Pell grants in 1994, provision of postsecondary correctional education 
dropped greatly. Multiple empirical studies demonstrate that 
postsecondary correctional education improves the atmosphere in 
prisons, increases successful reentry, increases employment after 
release, and decreases criminal behavior. For example, studies show 
that such education helps improve communication among staff and 
inmates, develop positive peer role models, and reduce disciplinary 
infractions. Further, multiple studies show that postsecondary 
education saves taxpayers' money. In 2001, government analysts in 
Maryland calculated that such programs saved state taxpayers more than 
$24 million annually, more than two times what the state spent on such 
programs. Given that the average annual cost of incarceration is more 
than $22,000 per prisoner and that more than half of formerly-
incarcerated people return to prison with 3 years, providing higher 
education within prisons promises to be a cost-effective investment of 
taxpayer dollars.

  Currently, only approximately 5 percent of the total prison 
population is enrolled in postsecondary education. Current Federal 
postsecondary correctional grants target youth, resulting in a great 
need for such programs for adults. The Conference report expands higher 
education opportunities for older students by extending the qualifying 
age for such programs to 35 and by allowing up to 7 years to study 
while in prison. These provisions will allow greater flexibility to 
states to identify and serve individual inmates who are best able to 
benefit from postsecondary correctional education. In addition, the 
bill authorizes a study on the effectiveness of postsecondary 
correctional education. This study will greatly advance our 
understanding of what makes programs effective in educating individuals 
and reducing post release offending.
  Further, I am pleased that the bill takes steps to ease the 
discrimination against low-income students with drug convictions. There 
are multiple problems with a one-size-fits-all penalty based on 
financial aid. It inappropriately uses the financial aid application 
process to apply a mandatory minimum sentence above and beyond what the 
judicial system has imposed for a restricted group of students. Also, 
given that the penalty applies only to students receiving Federal aid 
who must maintain a C average or higher, the current provision unfairly 
denies aid only to low-income, high-performing students. The Conference 
report makes it easier for students who lose aid to re-qualify for 
Federal aid after it is removed. The report also requires an important 
study of who is denied Federal aid so that lawmakers can better 
understand whether this policy penalizes particular categories of 
students compared to others. As the Committee on Education and Labor's 
Report indicated, the study will examine the demographic background of 
the students excluded from Federal aid by the drug prohibition as well 
as the nature of the offenses underlying the exclusion. The variables 
for study are clearly enumerated in the Committee Report.

[[Page H7664]]

  In closing, there are many elements of this Conference report that 
will help many low-income students to access and succeed in higher 
education. I am proud to serve in the Congress that is making such a 
considerable investment in our students so that all youth--especially 
low-income, minority students--have access to quality postsecondary 
education.
  Mr. McKEON. I am happy to yield now to the gentleman from Delaware 
(Mr. Castle), subcommittee ranking member on the committee and champion 
of reducing college costs, 2 minutes.
  Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I will 
see what I can do about college costs in 2 minutes.
  I thank both the gentlemen from California for their tremendous work 
on this legislation. I will submit a statement for the Record.
  I am one who watched college costs go up even in the time I have been 
in Congress at a rate that is higher than anything else in the country, 
maybe not gasoline in the last year or two, but health care and all the 
other things that we worry about so much.
  And we have heard many Members come to the floor and speak about the 
need to educate our children. I think every one of us here understands 
that the future of our economy in this country depends upon these young 
individuals being able to get access to higher education. And I believe 
that this legislation, which I totally support, will at least help with 
this.
  We are now going to have more transparency than we did before. We are 
going to have publication of lists of those schools which have had the 
highest rate of increases in recent years, for example.
  But we have also spoken to some of the areas such as student loans, 
the Perkins Act and others, in which we are helping individuals get 
more funding, or were controlling funding better than we did before. I 
think that is extraordinarily important as well.
  I hate to have borrowing. I love what some schools are doing now and 
using their funds to help with the tuition issues. But the bottom line 
is that some borrowing is going to be necessary.
  I am very appreciative of some amendments that I was involved with, 
the Teach for America program, to allow very bright young students in 
this country that weren't necessarily going into education to be able 
to teach for a while and hopefully, in some cases, stay in education. I 
think that is an important step in terms of where we are going.
  And I believe that the reauthorization, in general, is absolutely 
essential if we are going to be able to move forward with respect to 
education.
  The transparency is significant. That alone won't change the cost of 
higher education. I don't think we have the authority here to tell 
private schools and even State public schools exactly how to do that. 
But we certainly have the authority to pass good legislation such as 
this in order for the public to be able to understand exactly what they 
are dealing with.
  For all these reasons, I would encourage all of us to support this 
good legislation. Again, I thank all those staff individuals and, of 
course, the Members that had anything to do with putting this together.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman 
from California (Ms. Woolsey) who, again, was so helpful in the 
business partnership agreements.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I am particularly pleased to have had an 
opportunity in this bill to honor my friend and mentor, the late 
Congresswoman Patsy Mink, who was a leader on guaranteeing equality for 
all by creating Patsy T. Mink Fellowships.
  While we have made great strides in providing educational 
opportunities for women and minorities, far too few are becoming 
college professors. The Mink Fellowships will be used to encourage 
women and minorities to become professors in fields where they are 
under-represented.
  In addition to providing more diversity and opportunity in graduate 
programs, we recognize the need for more opportunities to attain 
certificates and degrees in high-wage, high-skilled jobs. This bill 
helps colleges partner with local businesses to create ``for-credit'' 
classes focused on the skills and certificates needed for high-wage 
jobs in the local community.
  Also, many of our Nation's students enter college needing remedial 
education classes. Far too many get stuck taking those classes, never 
graduates. This bill fixes that. Let's pass it.
  Mr. McKEON. Might I inquire how much time both sides have.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon) 
has 13 minutes remaining. The gentleman from California (Mr. George 
Miller) has 17 minutes remaining.

                              {time}  1345

  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. McCarthy) who's been a champion on 
campus safety during this legislation.
  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the 
conference report to the Higher Education Opportunity Act, H.R. 4137.
  First, let me start out by thanking Chairman Miller and Ranking 
Member McKeon. I also want to thank the staff for their professionalism 
and their courtesy and their work for getting this bill to where it is, 
and my own staff, Kim Becknell and Phil Putter.
  The passage of this bill will help millions of Americans make the 
dream of a college education a reality. In particular, I'm proud to see 
that many of my provisions are in the bill, including student loan 
forgiveness for nursing students; incentives for nurses to become 
instructors, helping to end our nursing shortage; tuition forgiveness 
for teachers working in New York's BOCES schools; making career and 
professional schools more affordable; expanding the availability of 
guaranteed student loans or Stafford loans to more nursing and 
professional schools; expanding the Graduate Assistance Areas of 
National Need Program, and expanding Project GRAD U.S.A.; also 
monitoring our Nation's most expensive schools' tuition rates and 
offering students and families a tool for an education.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the conference report to the Higher 
Education Opportunity Act, H.R. 4137.
  Let me first start out by thanking the Chairman, Ranking Member, and 
hardworking staff on the Committee on Education and Labor for their 
efforts and professionalism in passing one of the most comprehensive 
education bills in years.
  The passage of this bill will help millions of Americans make the 
dream of a college education a reality.
  In particular, I am proud to see that many of my provisions are in 
the bill including:
  Student loan forgiveness for nursing students;
  Incentives for nurses to become instructors, helping to end our 
Nation's nursing shortage;
  Tuition forgiveness for teachers working in New York's BOCES schools;
  Making career and professional schools more affordable;
  Expanding the availability of Guaranteed Student Loans or Stafford 
Loans to more nursing and professional schools;
  Ensuring that degrees earned from rabbinical schools will continue to 
be recognized as the equivalent of bachelor's degrees;
  Expanding the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need program;
  Expanding Project GRAD USA;
  Monitoring our Nation's most expensive schools' tuition rates and 
offering students and families a tool to estimate increased costs over 
the course of a college education;
  Studying the ability of teachers to meet the needs of students with 
dyslexia.
  I am especially pleased that the bill addresses the need for colleges 
and universities to have policies in place to immediately warn their 
campus communities when a serious crime or other emergency threatens 
the safety of students or employees on campus.
  These provisions are similar to those in my ``Virginia Tech Victims 
Campus Emergency Response Policy and Notification Act'' or VTV Act, 
H.R. 5735.
  The tragic events of April 16, 2007, on the campus of Virginia Tech, 
reminded us that horrific incidents can happen anywhere and that we 
must be prepared.
  The addition of an emergency notification provision to the Jeanne 
Clery Act will help ensure that students and employees are empowered 
with information about potential significant threats to their safety 
such as an unknown shooting suspect at large or an impending natural 
disaster.
  Because emergencies can escalate or spread quickly it is vital that 
emergency notifications occur without any delay and these provisions 
appropriately provide that warnings must occur ``immediately . . . upon 
confirmation'' of a threat.

[[Page H7665]]

  Minutes can mean the difference between life and death.
  Using both high and low tech means, many institutions across the 
country, including Florida Atlantic University, Ferrum College and 
Northern Illinois University, have already adopted this approach and 
are issuing campuswide emergency notifications in less than 30 minutes 
after an incident has occurred.
  These provisions will be a very fitting living memorial to the 
innocent victims of April 16, 2007 and I applaud their family members 
who have sought to have something positive come out of that dark day. 
The Virginia Tech Victims Family group members have been tireless 
advocates for safer campuses and their devotion has helped make these 
provisions a reality. I would ask that the victims' names be included 
at an appropriate place in the Record.
  I would also like to thank Catherine Bath, Jonathan Kassa and S. 
Daniel Carter of the nonprofit organization Security On Campus, Inc., 
SOC, for their leadership on and help with these issues. Founded in 
1987 by Connie Clery and her late husband Howard after their daughter 
Jeanne's murder in a campus residence hall, SOC continues to be the 
Nation's leading voice for safer campuses and victims' rights on 
campus.
  To honor the memory of the lives that were lost as a result of the 
incident at Virginia Tech, I humbly submit the following names in the 
Congressional Record:
  Ross Abdallah Alameddine, Christopher James Bishop, Brian Roy Bluhm, 
Ryan Christopher Clark, Austin Michelle Cloyd, Jocelyne Couture-Nowak, 
Kevin P. Granata, and Matthew Gregory Gwaltney.
  Caitlin Millar Hammaren, Jeremy Michael Herbstritt, Rachael Elizabeth 
Hill, Emily Jane Hilscher, Jarrett Lee Lane, Matthew Joseph La Porte, 
Henry J. Lee, and Liviu Librescu.
  G.V. Loganathan, Partahi Mamora Halomoan Lumbantoruan, Lauren Ashley 
McCain, Daniel Patrick O'Neil, Juan Ramon Ortiz-Ortiz, Minal Hiralal 
Panchal, Daniel Alejandro Perez, and Erin Nicole Peterson.
  Michael Steven Pohle, Jr., Julia Kathleen Pryde, Mary Karen Read, 
Reema Joseph Samaha, Waleed Mohamed Shaalan, Leslie Geraldine Sherman, 
Maxine Shelly Turner, and Nicole Regina White.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Tierney) who did groundbreaking work 
and made such an effort to make sure the States meet the responsibility 
for financing public higher education.
  Mr. TIERNEY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member McKeon. This 
was a cooperative effort, a bipartisan effort for sure focusing on 
access and affordability.
  There's a partnership in education, higher education in particular, 
between parents and children, entire families, levels of government at 
both the State and Federal level, and the institutions. The families 
for too long have seen their share of that partnership go up and up in 
tuition and fees.
  This Congress dealt with the reconciliation bill last year, putting 
$20 billion additionally in for Pell Grants, reducing the cost of 
loans. We needed to ask these institutions to step up to the plate, and 
we've done that in this bill. They have incentives to keep their 
tuition low and the incentives go to more aid to the students. They're 
going to be held accountable by being required to report any reasons 
for tuition increases.
  States are going to have to maintain their investment in higher 
education so they can't supplant their responsibilities with either the 
money from the Federal Government or by charging students more in 
tuition and fees. If they do, they won't get access to a program. So 
they have that incentive to move forward.
  We restore the integrity and accountability to the student loan 
programs, we've provided loan forgiveness for people, and all of this 
focuses, Mr. Speaker, on families and makes that partnership work.
  I support the bill and ask my colleagues to do the same.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) and thank him for all of his work 
on the foreign language partnerships and the creation of the deputy 
assistant secretary.
  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I would like to join the others in commending 
Chairman Miller and Mr. McKeon and allow me to point out some of the 
good provisions that are in this bill that I have worked on.
  It allows Pell Grants to be used year round and by part-time 
students. It empowers community colleges to provide childcare programs 
so that working mothers can attend school. It has grants and loan 
forgiveness for math, science, and foreign language students who pledge 
to work in those areas after graduation.
  As the chairman just said, it creates a deputy assistant secretary 
for international and foreign language education. It directs the 
Institute of Medicine to study the shortage of nursing faculty, which 
is one of the principal reasons for the shortage of nurses in America.
  It provides funding to institutions of higher education that 
encourage science and engineering students to develop foreign language 
proficiency. It creates a scholarship database of financial assistance 
for post-secondary and graduate programs in science, technology, and 
engineering.
  There are many other good features in this bill, and I, again, 
commend those who put it together. And I urge my colleagues to support 
it.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Altmire) and thank him for his work on 
the business workforce partnerships and on the textbook rental program.
  Mr. ALTMIRE. Mr. Speaker, this bill is the next step in our efforts 
to make college more affordable and accessible for American families. I 
would like to take a moment to highlight four of the provisions I 
included in this bill.


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  July 31, 2008 on Page H7665 the following appeared: Mr. ALTIMRE. 
Mr. Speaker, this bill
  
  The online version should be corrected to read: Mr. ALTMIRE. Mr. 
Speaker, this bill


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 

  This bill encourages colleges and employers to join together to form 
business workforce partnerships that will help graduating students find 
jobs and provide local businesses the skilled workers they need. It 
also provides grants to minority-serving institutions to help them 
recruit and prepare the teachers of tomorrow and improve the diversity 
of our Nation's workforce.
  Additionally, my language added to this bill forgives the student 
loans of veterans who are determined to be totally and permanently 
disabled by the VA.
  And finally, the conference report includes an amendment that I 
offered along with Congressman Tim Ryan to establish textbook rental 
programs to help students save money.
  This conference report is a significant improvement to our higher 
education system, and I am proud to have been a part of the conference 
committee that reported this bill.
  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield now to the gentleman 
from Indiana (Mr. Souder), a member of the committee, for 3 minutes.
  Mr. SOUDER. I thank Ranking Member McKeon for his leadership and 
yielding the time, and I also want to thank Chairman Miller for working 
with us to develop a bipartisan bill.
  You hear a lot about the controversies between the parties and the 
partisanship, but here is a huge piece of legislation that we were able 
to work through in a basically unanimous way between the House and even 
the Senate.
  I want to talk about a few amendments that I worked with. In fact, 
there was controversy on each one of these things, but we were able to 
come to reconciliation.
  One is GEAR UP, which is widely supported, and my good friend, Chaka 
Fattah, developed this concept. I was an original cosponsor. We moved 
it with a Democratic President and a Republican Congress, then a 
Republican Congress with a Republican President sustained the program, 
and now a Democratic Congress with a Republican President. But in that 
we've made some significant changes that allow GEAR UP to put a 2-1 
match for scholarship money because one of the intentions of this was 
to get actual cash to help students get to college who were low-income, 
and we wanted to give them a commitment in junior high that we will 
back them up. And this will help balance that back more to cash to 
those students.
  It also allows them to work with the first year of college and to 
connect with TRIO and others and not just get them there.
  In the Drug-Free Student Loan provision, which has been much aligned 
by pro-drug groups around the country, we've clarified the Department 
of Education's confusion on how best to implement this plus added a 
warning that the universities and colleges are to tell the students 
that they're at risk of losing their loan if they're convicted of a

[[Page H7666]]

drug crime. They can get it back with a drug test. They can get it back 
the third time. You can go to college but not at taxpayer expense.
  We also had an amendment dealing with for-profits' cohort default 
rates. One of the unintended consequences if you make it too difficult 
for how many students don't graduate, that for-profit schools would 
have stopped seeking minority, low-income students, or any subgroup 
that shows any risk of more defaults of student loans. And we would 
have had the unintended consequence if we didn't delay the 
implementation of the 3-year averaging, which we also worked to get, 
and I appreciate the chairman working with this because this is very 
important in many of these for-profit technical schools or others that 
are serving higher-need, less historically graduating percentages. Our 
goal with GEAR UP, with TRIO, and others is to increase those 
percentages, but you don't want to punish the colleges that reach out.
  We also changed in distance education. We made it easier for 
basically Internet universities or colleges and universities that use 
that to get accreditation because if you choke the accreditation, you 
will cut off the expansion and the accessibility. And this is very 
important for many colleges and universities.
  Lastly, I had an amendment in committee that was defeated, but 
Senator Gregg proposed it in the Senate, and this is the Academic Bill 
of Rights. I'm pleased that not only it passed the Senate but that the 
House in effect receded to the Senate. This is something that David 
Horowitz had advocated for many years, and I'm pleased this is in the 
bill, too.
  I want to thank Chairman Miller for his work and Ranking Member 
McKeon.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Yarmuth) and thank him for his work on the 
Teach to Reach grants and the students success grants for community 
college students.
  Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the 
College Opportunity and Affordability Act, and I want to thank you, 
Chairman Miller, and the Senate committee chairs for drafting a bill 
that will help millions of Americans go to college and graduate without 
crippling debt.
  I'm proud to have introduced a number of this bill's provisions that 
will help to ensure every American has a world-class education. Our 
Nation's teachers confront a multitude of challenges, and if we aren't 
providing them with the tools to succeed, we're failing them and their 
students.
  This legislation authorizes grants to train general education 
teachers to work with students who have autism and other disabilities. 
A program to make sure educators learn the best techniques to help kids 
read at grade level and student success grants that will help students 
stay in college to complete their degrees and succeed in the workplace. 
The revolutionizing Education Through Digital Investment Act will 
better engage young students by greatly expanding the ways technology 
is utilized in the classroom.
  There is no greater way to impact the future of our country than by 
ensuring that all of our children receive the highest quality 
education. I therefore urge my colleagues to join me in enacting this 
critically important legislation.
  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, could I inquire how much time we have left.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Holden). The gentleman from California 
(Mr. McKeon) has 10 minutes. The gentleman from California (Mr. Miller) 
has 12 minutes remaining.
  Mr. McKEON. I would be happy to yield at this time to the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Tim Murphy) for 3 minutes.
  Mr. TIM MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and 
ranking member for the College Opportunity and Affordability Act, which 
I'm here to offer my strong support, and I thank Chairman Miller and 
Congressman McKeon for ensuring the language for my bill, H.R. 2220, 
the Mental Health Security for America's Families in Education Act, was 
included in the legislation.
  This language directs the Secretary of Education to clarify how and 
when schools can communicate with the parent if a student demonstrates 
that they pose a significant risk of suicide, homicide, or assault. 
Schools acting in good faith by communicating with parents would also 
be protected from liability.
  The current Family Education Rights and Privacy Act passed in 1974 
was originally passed to protect the confidentiality of student 
records. However, it's a confusing array of regulations meant to notify 
parents but often stands in the way as schools are more prone to call 
an attorney to get clarification than they are to call parents.
  As a child psychologist, I understand the importance of 
confidentiality, but there are times that it may be in the best 
interest of the student to inform those who can provide the necessary 
help to protect them and others. Parents are in the best position to 
help students suffering from mental illness by providing emotional 
support medical history, coordinating care with various mental health 
professionals, and long-term follow up. Parents will be around long 
after the school is gone.
  Behind a law like this there are stories of beautiful lives 
tragically stopped in their youth. Children like Stephanie Cady from 
North Franklin Township who was a junior at Elizabethtown College until 
she withdrew for medical reasons. According to her parents, she was 
struggling with depression and paranoia during her sophomore year. Her 
friends persuaded her to get help, but her parents were never told that 
she was taking medication until just this past Christmas. 
Unfortunately, the right combination of help from her parents and 
therapists came too late and, sadly, she took her own life in April of 
2008.
  In 2002, Charles Mahoney from Burgettstown took his own life while in 
school at Allegheny College in Pennsylvania.
  And since the passing of their children, the Mahoneys and the Cadys 
have advocated for change to existing laws so the parents can help 
before it is too late.
  Families know the privacy laws that prevent schools from sharing 
information with parents have to be changed so the parents can get 
involved to help with the children that they love. Our shared hope is 
that through the important change of law, their actions will prevent 
other parents from suffering the same losses, and their children's 
lives can be remembered at least in saving the lives of others.
  This bill we are dealing with today is taking an important step in 
saving those lives, and I want to thank Chairman Miller and Ranking 
Member McKeon for their support of this critically important and life-
saving provision that will prevent other tragedies like this and 
Virginia Tech happening again in the future.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) and I want to thank him for his 
work on the cohort default rate and on the year-round Pell Grant.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Thank you, Chairman Miller, for your work on this very, 
very important piece of legislation, the first time in a decade 
Congress is going to pass a Higher Education Act. I'm happy to support 
this long past-due improvement to higher education.
  This legislation is about inclusion and not exclusion. The bill 
simplifies the means by which students and families can research 
colleges, apply for help, and gather information to aid in the 
important decisions we all must make.

                              {time}  1400

  It expands access and support for poor students and students of color 
through changes to Pell Grants and improvements to TRIO and GEAR UP, 
additional support for students who have with disabilities, additional 
support for veterans and their families.
  This piece of legislation is a hallmark of the work of this Congress 
and this session. I'm proud to be on the committee and proud to serve 
in the development of this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, today, for the first time in a decade, Congress will 
pass a higher education act, and I am happy to support the long past-
due improvements to higher education that will be put into effect by 
the passage of this bill.
  This Higher Education Opportunity Act demonstrates a commitment by 
this Congress to inclusion. The bill simplifies the means by

[[Page H7667]]

which students and families can research colleges, apply for student 
aid and gather information to aid in the important decision making 
process.
  It expands access and support for poor students and students of color 
through changes to Pell Grants and improvements to TRIO and GEAR UP, 
making college accessible to first-generation students and those who 
are most likely to be expensed out of college.
  It offers expanded support for veterans and their families to honor 
their continued sacrifice by creating new scholarships and by 
establishing education support centers and other services to aid in 
access to education.
  It establishes more opportunities for students with disabilities to 
gain equal access to college by offering national centers of support, 
aiding colleges in recruitment and retention of students with 
disabilities, and expands Pell Grant eligibility. Additionally, one of 
my priorities will create model demonstration programs to improve the 
access to quality materials for students with print disabilities. It 
will also create a commission to consider ways to better distribute 
these materials.
  The rising cost of a college education means that students now more 
than ever must be informed about their decisions as they relate to 
living expenses and borrowing for education. This bill will add a 
number of mechanisms to aid students in making these choices, including 
a provision I worked hard to add that will improve the way cohort 
default rates are calculated. These changes, though more modest than I 
had hoped, will encourage schools and lenders to provide better 
financial literacy to guide students with post-college debt.
  The Higher Education Opportunity Act marks a significant improvement 
in our national commitment to inclusive access to higher education and 
expresses our continued efforts to make college more affordable and 
accessible.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Shea-Porter) and thank her for all 
her work on the TRIO program. It is so important to get kids to college 
and to stay in college.
  Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Thank you.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my strong support for the conference 
report on H.R. 4137, the Higher Education Opportunity Act. I am a proud 
cosponsor of this legislation; and I thank Chairman Miller, Ranking 
Member McKeon, and the conferees.
  I want to highlight two achievements of particular importance to my 
constituents.
  The first is a provision that broadens the discretion afforded to 
school financial aid administrators. It allows them to take into 
account expenses incurred by families who are caring for an adult 
dependent when calculating a student's financial aid package. This 
sounds like a minor technical change, but it is not.
  A constituent of mine shared a very personal story about her family's 
struggle to make ends meet while caring for their eldest child, who is 
a disabled adult, and also trying to send their youngest to college. In 
determining whether this family qualified for financial aid, an 
administrator could not take this situation into consideration. With 
the provision included in this bill, they now can.
  We have also taken great steps in this legislation to ensure the 
continued success of the Upward Bound Program. This program plays a 
very important role in my district helping first generation and low-
income high school students achieve their dreams of a college 
education. These programs have faced challenges over the past year. I 
am proud we have been able to resolve these issues.
  We have simplified the FAFSA form and done many other steps. I thank 
you for your efforts.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. How much time is remaining, might I 
inquire of the Chair.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from California (Mr. George 
Miller) has 10 minutes remaining. The gentleman from California (Mr. 
McKeon) has 7\1/2\ minutes remaining.
  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I would be happy to yield at this time to my 
good friend from across the aisle, a former member of the committee, 
the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah), 1 minute.
  (Mr. FATTAH asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. FATTAH. Thank you.
  In 1997, when we created GEAR UP in this legislation, it was an idea. 
Today, after 10 years, some 2 million young people later, it stands as 
the largest early college awareness program in our country's history, 
operating in 48 States and in many of our territories. It has been an 
extraordinary success. Eighty-five percent of the young people 
graduated from high school, 64 percent going on to college.
  I want to thank Chairman Miller and the ranking member, Buck McKeon, 
Ruben Hinojosa and Mark Souder and the committee for tweaking GEAR UP 
in a very positive way, taking the language from the GEAR UP and Go Act 
that I introduced, adding a seventh year to focus on that entry into 
college and retention issues and also allowing dual and concurrent 
enrollment, along with a number of anti-dropout prevention efforts at 
the community college and high school level.
  I want to thank the committee. This is a great bill overall, and GEAR 
UP is wonderful. But the increase in Pell, the simplification of the 
FAFSA form, there is a lot that could be said. This is a historic piece 
of legislation, and I thank you for the time.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hare), and I want to thank him for his 
work on dislocated workers and on the rural communities.
  Mr. HARE. I thank the Chairman.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the College 
Opportunity and Affordability Act conference report.
  The conference report includes the College and University Rural 
Education Act, which I introduced with Representatives Loebsack and 
Zack Space. This measure will stop the brain drain and create 
opportunities in rural America by increasing enrollment of rural high 
school graduates in institutions of higher education; creating 
employment pipelines; and providing training for professions of need in 
rural areas.
  Today's bill also includes a provision I developed with Mr. Loebsack 
to prepare individuals to serve as administrators and principals in 
rural areas. School leadership is key to student achievement, and rural 
America experiences a huge deficit in this area.
  I included a measure to help dislocated workers by informing them of 
their right to an alternative income calculation when applying for 
financial aid. This will ensure that workers who lost their jobs have 
access to retraining opportunities.
  This conference report builds upon the work we started in the College 
Cost Reduction Act. I commend Ranking Member McKeon and my chairman, 
Chairman Miller, and urge all my colleagues to support the conference 
report.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) and thank him for all of his work 
on the Historically Black Colleges and Universities and on the modeling 
and simulation program.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank and commend 
Chairman Miller, Ranking Member McKeon, Chairman Hinojosa, and Ranking 
Member Keller for their hard work on this bill.
  This bill contains many important provisions that will make college 
more affordable for our students, particularly the Pell Grant and loan 
forgiveness provisions.
  It also has many provisions helpful to institutions of higher 
learning, especially Historically Black Colleges and Universities which 
have been funded for new master's programs at Historically Black 
Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions.
  It also, as the Chairman has indicated, has a new program to help the 
rapidly growing field of modeling and simulation.
  Mr. Speaker, there is new language in the bill dealing with the 
accreditation of colleges, and it is important to explicitly note that 
this new language does not adversely affect or change anti-
discrimination provisions.
  The bill also contains a direction to the Department of Education to 
reword the financial aid application to make it clear that students can 
get financial aid, even if they have a drug offense.
  We have worked long and hard on this bill, and for the foregoing 
reasons, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, it has been ten years since the Higher Education Act has 
been reauthorized and I am pleased that we will now make many

[[Page H7668]]

needed updates to this law. I would like to commend Chairman Miller, 
Ranking Member McKeon, Chairman Hinojosa, and Ranking Member Keller for 
their work on this bill. I would also like to thank the Chairman and 
Ranking Member of the Senate's Health, Education, Labor & Pensions 
committee, Senators Kennedy and Enzi. Additionally, I would like to 
express my gratitude to Senator Mikulski for all her efforts in Senator 
Kennedy's absence. I would also like to thank the House and Senate 
Committees' staff; we could not have reached this point without your 
hard work and dedication.
  This bill contains many important provisions that will help make a 
college education more affordable for student and their families. I am 
particularly pleased with the increase in the authorization of the Pell 
grant and the loan forgiveness provision that will aid students who 
give back to their community if they enter a profession in an area of 
national need, including mental health professionals and child welfare 
workers.
  The legislation also specifically assists minority students in 
several ways. For example, it contains a provision to promote cultural 
diversity in the entertainment media industry. It will also require 
that a study be conducted on whether race, ethnicity, or gender biases 
exist in the design of standardized admission tests used by higher 
education institutions. The information collected for the study is 
intended to be made available to the public--except in cases where the 
entity providing the information shows good cause or in the case where 
the information is proprietary--so that if such biases are found we can 
work to correct them.
  The bill requires the Department of Education to conform hate crime 
reporting requirements to FBI guidelines to more accurately report 
incidents of hate crimes on our campuses. This will result in 
consistent and accurate reporting of crimes against persons and crimes 
against property. In addition, improved data will give parents and 
students a more accurate sense of campus safety and education 
institutions a better picture of their campus climate.
  The legislation also contains many provisions helpful to institutions 
of higher education. The Secretary will now be required to develop and 
maintain a plan to help schools cope with natural and man-made 
disasters. The bill also creates an Education Disaster and Emergency 
Relief Loan Program to provide emergency loan funds to schools after a 
federal declared major disaster or emergency, including those schools 
affected by the 2005 Gulf Hurricanes. Additionally, the bill includes a 
provision which significantly helps schools affected by Hurricanes 
Katrina and Rita by holding them harmless for purposes of Title III 
funding.
  This bill also does a great deal to help the Historically Black 
Colleges and Universities. The authorization levels for HBCUs have been 
increased to $375 million dollars, which is almost three times the 
amount that is in the current Higher Education Act. The amount for the 
Historically Black Graduate Institutions program has significantly 
increased as well. The bill also provides funding for Masters programs 
at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black 
Institutions that focus on science, technology, engineering, 
mathematics, health and other fields in which Blacks are 
underrepresented.
  The legislation strengthens and develops college-level programs in 
the rapidly growing field of Modeling and Simulation. This is a field 
of study that refers to replicating a system on a smaller scale or on a 
computer for extensive examination. There is not a single field of 
study or profession that cannot benefit from this type of analysis 
including urban planning, medicine and national security.
  This legislation includes several positive changes to the TRIO 
programs, which provide assistance to low-income and first generation 
college-going students. The bill eliminates the Absolute Priority 
conditions imposed on Upward Bound programs by the Department of 
Education without requiring a recompetition. In addition, the bill 
creates an appeals process for TRIO programs to ensure that the 
grantmaking process is as fair and transparent as possible.
  Mr. Speaker, there is a clarification that I feel must be made with 
regard to new language added to an existing accreditation provision. 
Current law requires that accrediting agencies or associations apply 
and enforce their standards in a manner that respects the missions of 
institutions of higher education. This bill states that respecting 
missions of institutions of higher education includes religious 
missions. It is important to explicitly note what is and is not 
intended by the new language. Pursuant to the House Report filed by the 
House Committee on Education and Labor on December 19, 2007 (H. Rept. 
110-500, Part I), it is important to make clear that this new language 
does not affect or change nondiscrimination provisions. The House 
Report states in relevant part:
  ``The new language requiring accrediting agencies or associations to 
apply and enforce their standards in a manner that respects the 
missions of institutions of higher education, including religious 
missions, reflects Congress' belief that accredited institutions should 
be allowed to choose their own missions rather than having them imposed 
or regulated by accrediting bodies. In response to concerns raised by 
Representatives Robert C. Scott (D-VA) and Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX) about 
whether the amendment would harm the ability of accreditors to enforce 
nondiscrimination provisions, the author of the amendment, 
Representative Timothy Walberg (R-MI), explained that the provision 
would not affect nondiscrimination provisions and instead would require 
accreditors to respect the missions of schools, including when the 
missions are religious.
  ``It is the intent of the Committee that this amendment does not 
change or alter current accreditation requirements, and the exemptions 
included in those requirements (such as those allowed by the American 
Bar Association and the American Psychological Association), for the 
enforcement of nondiscrimination provisions. The Committee also notes 
that this provision does not alter title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 
1964, title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 or other federal 
antidiscrimination statutes, which remain applicable to institutions of 
higher education to the same extent as before. The Department of 
Education shall not promulgate any regulations that provide any new 
exceptions to current nondiscrimination provisions.
  ``It is also the intent of the Committee that this amendment does not 
change or alter current accreditation requirements, and the exemptions 
included in those requirements, for training professionals in the 
practice of medicine and other health care professions.''
  Similarly, the Senate report that accompanies S. 1642 (the companion 
bill to H.R. 4137) filed by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions on November 15, 2007 (Report No. 110-231) confirms 
this position. The Senate report states in relevant part:
  ``Accrediting agencies or associations recognized by the Department 
of Education are invested with a public trust and perform an important 
public function. Congress expects that those receiving Department 
recognition will perform those functions with the same diligence and 
competence as would be provided by any public body and that their 
procedures will be conducted with the same level of transparency, due 
process, and accountability that would apply to the Department if it 
performed this function itself.
  ``The new language requiring accrediting agencies or associations to 
apply and enforce their standards in a manner that respects the 
missions of institutions of higher education, including religious 
missions, reflects these goals. It is not intended to allow an 
institution to deny a person participation in, the benefits of, or to 
subject a person to discrimination under any program or activity 
receiving Federal financial assistance under existing laws, including 
those with respect to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, 
or disability; or because the person has not complied with a standard 
of the institution that requires the person to discriminate on the 
basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or 
disability.''
  Mr. Speaker, I would also like to highlight a provision included in 
the Statement of Managers to the Conference which I feel is extremely 
important. Currently, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid 
(FAFSA) is written in a way that misleads many students to believe that 
if they have been convicted of a drug offense, they do not qualify for 
financial aid. In the Statement of Managers, Conferees encourage the 
Department to reword the FAFSA to more accurately reflect the ways in 
which students who have been convicted of drug offenses can obtain 
financial aid.
  Mr. Speaker, we have worked long and hard for a comprehensive, 
bipartisan bill. While not perfect, I believe this bill goes a long way 
towards making college more affordable for students and their families 
and towards helping our institutions and higher education provide a 
quality education to our nation's youth. For the foregoing reasons, I 
support the bill and urge my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  The Higher Education Opportunity Act is truly a bipartisan 
achievement, reflecting major priorities of both parties, as you can 
see from the debate. In recognition of that fact, I would like to take 
just a moment to touch on some of the reforms that Members on our side 
of the aisle were able to secure in this bill.
  This bill includes meaningful steps to address the college cost 
crisis. I have been fighting this battle for years, and the steps in 
this bill are a victory for students and their families.
  We have ensured that this bill increases accountability through the

[[Page H7669]]

power of sunshine and transparency. H.R. 4137 will put quality 
information in the hands of students and parents to help them make more 
informed decisions when choosing their path for obtaining a higher 
education.
  This conference report protects student privacy by prohibiting the 
development of a Federal unit record system. Republicans believe 
students should not be forced to relinquish their privacy just because 
they wish to pursue post-secondary education.
  This bill includes numerous reforms to strengthen Pell Grants for 
low-income students. The bill now prohibits Pell Grants from being 
provided to sex offenders that remain involuntarily confined by closing 
a loophole that allowed these individuals, deemed so dangerous that 
they cannot be released after completing their incarceration, to 
receive taxpayer-funded Pell Grants to pursue higher education. The 
bill also includes a sensible funding limitation to protect taxpayers 
and ensure students are making progress toward completing their 
degrees.
  This conference report also includes a proposal to make transfer of 
credit policies public so students can plan ahead and avoid wasting 
time and money. It encourages States to develop and improve 
articulation agreements to make credit transfer easier among 
institutions within a State and across State lines.
  Republicans have worked with our colleagues on the other side of the 
aisle for years to make it easier to apply for financial aid. Thanks to 
that effort, this legislation will create a shorter EZ-FAFSA form and 
make financial aid information available to students earlier in the 
college planning process.
  Several committee members championed new efforts to ensure our higher 
education system can help meet our growing international competitive 
challenges. Specifically, the bill includes provisions to help increase 
the number of math, science, and foreign language teachers and 
professionals.
  Republicans believe students should not be discriminated against on 
college campuses because of their political or ideological views, and 
that's why we fought to ensure the college conference would include an 
Academic Bill of Rights.
  The bill also protects local control and prevents Federal meddling in 
curricula in programs under the Higher Education Act, including teacher 
training programs and within academic competitiveness grants.
  Finally, in a time of war, we all recognize that our higher education 
system must be flexible enough to meet the unique needs of student-
soldiers. The bill includes numerous proposals to improve higher 
education opportunities for members of the Armed Forces, including 
changes to allow greater participation in TRIO college access programs 
and improvements to the way financial aid is calculated for military 
personnel.
  The bill also creates a Web site to make it easier for veterans and 
members of the military to find information on financial aid 
opportunities available to them, and it requires States to provide in-
state tuition rates to members of the military, their spouses, and 
their dependent children.
  These are just a few of the many reforms that were important to 
members of the committee during this process. I want to thank Chairman 
Miller again for working with me to ensure this bill is truly 
bipartisan, and I urge all of my colleagues to join me in voting yes on 
this bill that contains so many important provisions.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, Members of the House, 
families across America and students everywhere, it is a pleasure to 
yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Illinois, who revolutionized and 
changed and simplified the student loan application form for all of 
America's families and students from this day forward, Mr. Emanuel.
  Mr. EMANUEL. When I was campaigning, I met a firefighter, Pat Kehoe, 
who told me about the night before he and his wife were trying to fill 
out the form for their only child to go to college. He talked about it 
was 108 questions, how complicated it was.
  So I went and personally checked it. Go to page 8 and complete the 
columns on the left of worksheets A, B, and C. Enter the student, and 
spouse, totals in questions 44, 45, and 46 respectively.
  Worksheet B, first of 12 items: Payments to tax-deferred pension and 
savings plans, including, but not limited to, amounts reported on the 
W-2 form in boxes 12a through 12d, codes D, E, F, G, H, and S.
  If you can fill this out, forget college; go to graduate school. This 
is the most complicated form out there, for kids just trying to go to 
college.
  This new legislation is going to take that 108 questions, those eight 
pages, take it down to two pages, 44 questions, and take it from 
bureaucratize language down to consumer-friendly language.
  It's high time that parents who were trying to make sure that their 
kids had a shot at the American Dream don't have the government 
stepping in the way and preventing that.
  I want to thank the chairman.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. I yield the gentleman an additional 
30 seconds.
  Mr. EMANUEL. This legislation goes from protecting colleges to 
empowering college students, and this Congress will be remembered 
because of the chairman being the most friendly to college students and 
those families, for going to $20 billion in additional aid to kids to 
go to college, for the GI Bill which is new, and now this legislation.
  And I thank the chairman for his work, as well as the ranking member, 
for making sure that families across America who are trying to send 
their kids to college no longer have to jump through hoops every year 
filling out a form that was more friendly to the bureaucracy than it 
was to their family and their children.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer), and I want to thank him for his 
work on the sustainability program and creating a summit on 
sustainability in colleges and universities.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. I appreciate the gentleman's courtesy in permitting 
me to speak on this measure and for the hard work that the chairman and 
the ranking member have done. This is truly a landmark reauthorization. 
We're all pleased to see it come forward.
  The major challenge of this century is literally the future of the 
planet, global warming, sustainable development in a water-stressed, 
energy short, carbon-constrained world.
  To help us cope, this higher education reauthorization incorporates 
the provision of our Higher Education Sustainability Act. Inspired by 
the late Debbie Murdock from Portland State University, it will fund 
programs in our colleges and universities for research, for training of 
students, for sustainability practices on campus.
  It also does direct the Secretary of Education to convene a 
sustainability summit to be able to showcase all these best practices.
  One of the things that I am pleased about as I travel around the 
country, is looking at the environmental progress on our campuses. This 
legislation will help accelerate that vital process, and I deeply 
appreciate what the committee has done.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman 
from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind) and thank him for his work on the real-time 
writers program.
  Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, as a 10-year member of the Education and Labor 
Committee, I'm very proud of the product that the chairman and the 
ranking member and members of the committee have produced in this 
Congress today. It's the most important investment that this country is 
going to make in the future of our Nation for many years to come, but 
I'm especially grateful for the inclusion of the real-time court 
reporter scholarship program.
  The court reporters are the guardians of our public record, and not 
too many of my colleagues realize that with the Telecom Act, we 
mandated closed captioning for every television program in the United 
States. But because of the shortage of court reporters, we're having a 
hard time filling our courtrooms and meeting closed captioning 
services.

                              {time}  1415

  So I'm glad they included it; I commend them for the job they've 
done;

[[Page H7670]]

and I ask my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. May I inquire of the Speaker as to 
the time remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from California (Mr. Miller) 
has 5 minutes remaining. The gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon) has 
2 minutes remaining.
  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of our time.
  For years, Republicans have fought on behalf of students and families 
to make college more affordable. Now our cause is bipartisan, and our 
vision for reform is the centerpiece of a comprehensive Higher 
Education Act reauthorization.
  For students and families grappling with rising college costs, this 
bill establishes college affordability comparison tools to help put 
cost increases into perspective. Students will be able to search, sort, 
and compare key cost indicators for every school in the country. We 
will identify institutions that are the most costly, the least costly, 
and those with the fastest rising costs. And for schools engaging in a 
pattern of extraordinarily high cost increases, we demand greater 
disclosure and concrete steps to identify inefficiencies and fix them.
  This legislation reflects Republican principles for reform, including 
financial aid simplification, protection of student privacy, safeguards 
for taxpayer dollars, an emphasis on competitiveness, and many more 
positive reforms.
  Before I close, I want to recognize the staff on both sides of the 
aisle for their hard work. I want to thank Amy Jones, in particular, 
for her tireless efforts. Amy has carried this bill now through two 
Congresses, and we couldn't have done it without her.
  I also want to recognize Susan Ross and Rob Borden on my staff, along 
with my staff director, Sally Stroup.
  I'd also like to recognize Chairman Miller's staff--and I'm trying to 
learn their names--including Gaby Gomez, Julie Radocchia, and Jeff 
Appel; great people, and they've worked hard and worked well together.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill isn't perfect, but it will make a real 
difference to students and families struggling to pay for college. I 
encourage all of my colleagues to join me in voting yes to send this 
bill to the President for his signature.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, and members of the committee, I'm very proud of this 
legislation. I'm very proud of the members of my committee on both 
sides of the aisle. This legislation doesn't just belong to this 
committee at this time or to the majority party just at this time, this 
legislation has been worked on by many people on both sides of the 
aisle.
  When the Republicans were in the majority and Mr. McKeon was the 
subcommittee chair, he pushed hard for this legislation. And Mr. Kildee 
has spent many years on our committee working on behalf of higher 
education. And Mr. Hinojosa authored legislation, along with Mr. 
McKeon, that made it through the House in the last session.
  Why has that been true? Why is this legislation so broadly supported? 
Because we all understand the importance of a well-educated American 
population, and we all understand the urgency of this moment. At no 
time in our history has America needed a better educated population 
than it needs today.
  And we understand the importance of a college education and what it 
means to America's families, what it means to young people as they 
start out in their careers, as they start out their families, and their 
ability to provide for themselves and go to jobs that are interesting, 
that work for them, that make sense for them, and yet be able to have 
the skills so they can continue in the American economic system. This 
legislation does all of those things.
  This legislation helps to make college more affordable. It certainly 
helps to make it more accessible. And it has done that because of the 
agreements that we have reached on both sides of the aisle. Mr. McKeon 
has pushed long and hard for increases in the Pell Grants, long and 
hard for accountability in this system, and long and hard to make sure 
that the cost of college, that we have greater transparency, that we 
understand it better, that parents would be able to decipher, that 
students would be able to decipher and understand it. This legislation 
improves this act with respect to all of those provisions of the law.
  I tried to recognize the contributions made by each Member on our 
side of the aisle and the programs that they worked on to increase 
access to college for so many populations that haven't been given the 
full opportunity in the past that will be able to take advantage of 
that opportunity.
  And finally, this legislation makes it more affordable for many 
students. It's in combination with what we did in the reconciliation 
bill, where we provided $20 billion in new resources for students by 
cutting the interest rates, by providing forgiveness for loans, by 
increasing the Pell Grants, and providing real-time tuition assistance 
for those who want to go into teaching.
  This is an important piece of legislation; it's important to the 
Congress, it's important to our Nation, it's important to families and 
students who struggle mightily to figure out how they can finance an 
education.
  I think this is a big step in assuring that every qualified student 
should be able to afford college. They may have to borrow some money, 
but it's well worth that if they can achieve a college education. And I 
think it's going to make a major contribution to strengthening the 
American economy.
  This is a moment in time legislation and authorization of the Higher 
Education Act. But for over 45 years, there has been a fixed star in 
increasing the opportunity for young people to go to college and 
increasing the wherewithal for families and students to afford a 
college education, and that was the Senator from Massachusetts, who, 
unfortunately, is not able to be with us as we pass this conference 
report today in the House and in the Senate, but he is with us in great 
spirit. He called the other day to congratulate us with great 
enthusiasm. He wasn't convinced we were actually going to get it done, 
and he said he was quite excited that we did. And he was looking 
forward to the passage of this legislation.
  He has been a moving force for opportunity at all levels of society. 
But he, first and foremost, has understood the opportunity that 
education provides. Whether it's early childhood education, preschool 
education, elementary, secondary education, community colleges, 4-year 
colleges, graduate schools, Senator Ted Kennedy has been a champion of 
making sure that those doors are open to everybody in this society. And 
this legislation, I think, honors that commitment that Senator Kennedy 
has had for so many years as he has continued to sit on the Education 
Committee in the United States Senate and pound out this legislation 
that is so important to America's families, to America's students, and 
to America's economy.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation. I thanked 
them earlier, but I want to thank all the members of the committee on 
both sides of the aisle. I want to thank Mr. McKeon for his leadership 
on this issue, and certainly to all of the staff for their help. And 
happy birthday to Joe Novotny.
  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, today the House is voting on the conference 
report for H.R. 4137, the Higher Education Opportunity Act. I want to 
thank my dear friend Senator Kennedy for all of his hard work on this 
bill.
  Like our fuel and food, college tuition prices continue to rise, 
making a college degree unaffordable for many of our constituents. If 
Congress is serious about helping our country through this economic 
downturn, we must provide our young people with the tools and resources 
to be successful now and in an increasingly global economy.
  Back home in Michigan, we are facing higher and higher unemployment 
rates. Many are forced to look to a new career field after a plant 
closes, and others are simply having a hard time transferring the 
skills they learned from their previous career to a new one. I want to 
do everything I can to help the citizens of Michigan's 15th 
Congressional District through this tough time and I believe that 
access to a college education is one way to do so.
  Many of you have probably heard from constituents who have had 
trouble navigating the federal student aid program or difficulty 
filling out the extensive application forms. The last thing we want is 
to discourage anyone from attending college merely because they find 
the

[[Page H7671]]

federal aid process confusing or overwhelming.
  H.R. 4137 proposes to streamline the Free Application for Federal 
Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to make it easier for students and their 
families to navigate. This will be done by cutting the number of 
questions of the FAFSA form in half and allowing applicants to save 
their information rather than re-filing a new form each year. It will 
also allow students and their families to determine their Expected 
Family Contribution and their federal student aid package prior to 
college so that families can plan accordingly.
  For those of us with children and grandchildren, we all know how 
expensive a college education can be. Back home in Michigan, over 
143,000 students take out need-based loans each year. While this bill 
will not cover the cost of a college education, it will help to make 
the costs a little more manageable by increasing the value of the Pell 
grant. H.R. 4137 will increase the maximum Pell grant increase from the 
current level of $5,800 to $8,000 by the 2014 school year. More 
importantly, this bill will allow students access to Pell grants year 
round, ensuring that students who are going to school part-time will 
have access to this aid.
  For those many students who do rely on student loans to pay for 
school, this legislation will ensure that lenders are serving the best 
interests of our students. This will be done by requiring higher 
education institutions and lenders to adopt strict codes of conduct and 
ban all gifts and revenue sharing agreements between institutions and 
lenders. Lenders will now also be required to provide students with 
full and fair information about their loans before they sign on the 
dotted line, as well as be informed by the lenders of all borrowing 
options available to them when taking out and repaying loans.
  This legislation will increase aid to our veterans and military 
personnel. The veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan have served our 
country honorably and it is our duty to ensure that they have access to 
a college education should they desire to return to school. I know 
colleges across the country have seen increases in the enrollment of 
veterans; however, many do not have the resources to give the veterans 
the support they need. This is frankly unacceptable and this 
legislation will help correct this problem.
  H.R. 4137 will create a scholarship program that could award up to 
$5,000 for veterans, their spouses, or their children enrolled in 
college. It will also create support centers on college campuses 
designed to coordinate services and assist veterans with enrollment and 
completion of their degrees. More importantly, H.R. 4137 will ensure 
that veterans are not penalized by their financial contributions to 
their GI benefits in the financial aid process.
  This bill will reward students who enter public service fields in 
areas of high-need by establishing a $10,000 loan forgiveness program 
for individuals who study to become nurses; early childhood educators; 
librarians; teachers; school counselors; public sector employees; 
medical specialists; among other career fields.
  Madam Speaker, as the federal representative of a number of great 
universities and colleges in my district, I want to ensure that my 
constituents are able to take advantage of the education these fine 
institutions provide. However, with Michigan's economy struggling, many 
students are forced to forego college altogether in favor of working to 
support their families and pay their bills. Over the August district 
work period I look forward to going home to these constituents and 
telling them that a college education can still be an option. I want to 
tell them that Congress is willing to increase federal aid for 
students. I want to tell them that Congress is going to make the 
federal aid application process simpler and easier for them. And at the 
end of the day, I want to tell my constituents that H.R. 4137 was 
signed into law. I urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this 
legislation, let us all show our constituents that access to a college 
education is a top priority for Congress.
  Mr. SPACE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Conference 
Report accompanying H.R. 4137, the Higher Education Opportunity Act. 
This legislation will complete a long-overdue reauthorization of the 
Higher Education Act, bringing the promise of opportunity to countless 
young Americans. I commend Chairman Miller and Ranking Member McKeon 
for their work on this critical legislation.
  In particular, I wish to thank Chairman Miller and Ranking Member 
McKeon for including in this conference report provisions from 
legislation I introduced, H.R. 4139, the College and University Rural 
Education Act. This legislation will help to foster new opportunities 
and a higher quality of life for residents of rural America.
  The provisions that I mention authorize grants to rural serving 
institutions to improve access to higher education in rural America, 
and also to create employment pipelines that benefit the community. 
These grants can be used by rural-serving institutions to collaborate 
with regional school districts to improve access to higher education 
for high school graduates in rural America, where participation lags. 
Additionally, these grants can be used to create other outreach 
programs that will bring more nontraditional students back into the 
classroom.
  These grants can also be used to create new employment pipelines for 
professions of need in the region. By providing support for the 
development of new training programs for high-need occupations, as well 
as opportunities for students to attain professional development in 
these occupations, this legislation goes a long way towards improving 
the quality of life in rural America.
  Again, I wish to thank the Chairman and Ranking Member for all their 
hard work on this crucial legislation. I also want to thank Congressmen 
Hare and Loebsack for their original cosponsorship for the legislation 
and support throughout the process. Finally, I want to offer my thanks 
to all the staff on the Committee for their tireless efforts to improve 
opportunities for residents of rural areas.
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the 
Conference Report on H.R. 4137, the Higher Education Opportunity Act, 
which will reauthorize the Higher Education Act through Fiscal Year 
2012. This is the first time in almost a decade that this bill has been 
reauthorized, and I am proud to be part of a Congress that has placed 
such a high priority on making college a reality for all of our 
Nation's students. This bill builds on legislation that passed last 
year to help lower college costs and boost federal loan support for our 
students. Given the state of our economy, it is imperative that we 
invest in our education system to promote new employment and ensure 
that today's students can adapt to the jobs of tomorrow.
  Two of the main goals of the Higher Education Opportunity Act are to 
make a college education accessible to all students and to lower 
college costs for those students and their families. I am pIeased that 
this bill increases the maximum amount of Pell Grants, which help 5.5 
million low-income and minority students attend college, from $5,800 to 
$8,000 by the 2014 academic year. This meaure also boosts funding for 
the TRIO program and the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for 
Undergraduate Program (GEAR UP), which provide college readiness and 
support for low-income and first-generation students. H.R. 4137 ensures 
equal college opportunities for students with disabilities by creating 
the National Center for Information and Technical Support to improve 
college recruitment, retention, and completion of students with 
disabilities, and would also expand eligibility for Pell Grants for 
students with intellectual disabilities.
  H.R. 4137 also establishes a user-friendly website to provide 
students and families with helpful information about college pricing, 
and will streamline the cumbersome filing process for Free Application 
for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Families will now be able to receive 
estimates of their expected contribution and the amount of financial 
aid they may receive. H.R. 4137 requires higher education institutions 
and student loan providers to give borrowers fair and full information 
on their loan terms and repayment options, as well as promote financial 
literacy and education for students and families.
  One of the goals of the 110th Congress is to create a new generation 
of innovators so that we continue to build an educated, skilled 
workforce in the vital areas of science, math, engineering and 
information technology. To maintain our international competitiveness 
and economic advantage in the coming years, our Nation must invest more 
in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. 
That is why I am pleased that H.R. 4137 includes many new initiatives 
and increases STEM funding. These new programs include grants for 
colleges and universities to provide incentives for students in STEM 
majors to teach in these academic areas; the YES Partnership Grant 
Program, which provides funding to eligible colleges to support 
minority youth engagement in STEM fields through outreach and hands-on 
experiential learning; and the Robert C. Byrd Mathematics and Science 
Honors Scholarship Program, which focuses on encouraging students to 
earn degrees in math and science.
  H.R. 4137 increases college aid and support for our veterans and 
military families by requiring colleges and universities to treat 
students returning from military service as continuously enrolled 
students and preventing active duty servicemembers from accruing 
interest on student loans for the duration of their activation. The 
measure also encourages those students who commit to a job in high-need 
areas and public service for at least five years by establishing a 
$10,000 loan forgiveness program for nurses, early childhood educators, 
foreign language specialists, child welfare workers, school counselors, 
public sector employees, medical specialists, and mental health 
professionals. This measure further addresses the

[[Page H7672]]

shortage of nursing faculty by establishing competitive grants to fund 
scholarships for nurses studying for advanced degrees with the 
intention of becoming faculty.
  In recent years, our country's college and university campuses have 
seen terrible tragedies. H.R. 4137 will boost campus safety by helping 
all colleges develop and implement state of the art emergency systems 
and campus safety plans, and will also create a National Center for 
Campus Safety at the Department of Justice. Administrators and students 
on campuses across the country have also pushed for environmental, or 
``green,'' initiatives, and this measure supports these efforts by 
providing funding for environmental sustainability programs.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4137 shows that Congress is committed to the 
success of our students, and we will work to make sure that they can 
pursue their dreams without the burdens of unnecessary costs and debt. 
While we may find ourselves facing hard economic decisions, we must 
empower the next generation with the necessary tools and invest in 
their education. The College Opportunity and Affordability Act will set 
a blueprint for the future, and I encourage all my colleagues to vote 
for this bill.
  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this 
conference agreement. This is the first time in ten years that we will 
reauthorize the Higher Education Act, landmark legislation that has 
strengthened our colleges and universities and made the dream of higher 
education possible for countless Americans. I commend the bipartisan, 
bicameral work of Education and Labor Chairman George Miller and 
Ranking Member Buck McKeon, and Senators Kennedy, Mikulski and Enzi who 
crafted this compromise, and I urge my colleagues to join me in support 
of it.
  Our Nation's competitiveness depends on a vigorous college and 
university system and on ample opportunities for Americans to pursue 
their educational goals. As the first member of my family to graduate 
from college, I know firsthand that affordable access to higher 
education is the key to the American Dream for working families. H.R. 
4137 is an important step to make sure our schools remain strong and 
that students from all walks of life can go to college.
  H.R. 4137 keeps costs down for students and provides additional 
support through Pell Grants and education loans. It strengthens 
successful college-readiness initiatives and bolsters cooperation 
between school districts and teacher-preparation faculties. It improves 
access to emergency notification services for students. And it makes 
the process of applying to and planning for school easier: streamlining 
the federal student financial aid application; creating the ``College 
Navigator'' to provide cost and aid data to prospective students; and 
ensuring professors and students know the costs of course textbooks 
before the semester starts.
  I am pleased that this bill includes support for Historically Black 
Colleges and Universities in my district and across North Carolina, 
recognizing schools that have added master's degree programs with a new 
source of grant funding. It also provides new funding for Predominately 
Black Institutions. These schools, which include Fayetteville State 
University, Shaw University and North Carolina Wesleyan in my 
Congressional district, have an important ongoing role in improving 
educational opportunities for African Americans. I am also pleased that 
the conference agreement recognizes the situation of military families, 
like so many families of soldiers at North Carolina's Fort Bragg, who 
move frequently or are deployed abroad. H.R. 4137 requires states to 
offer in-state tuition rates to soldiers and their dependents when the 
soldier is deployed for more than 30 days. We must not allow service to 
our country to prevent the education of a soldier or his or her family.
  Mr. Speaker, education is the key to better lives and a brighter 
future for individuals and our Nation. H.R. 4137 improves educational 
opportunities for all Americans. I am pleased to support this 
legislation, and I urge my colleagues to join me in voting to pass it.
  Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I want to especially recognize the good work 
of GEAR UP students and staff in Philadelphia. Tens of thousands of 
Philadelphia high school students have been fortunate enough to benefit 
from GEAR UP, either directly as participants in the State or 
partnership grants we have been awarded, or indirectly as recipients of 
the CORE Philly scholarship program which was jump started by GEAR UP. 
I am proud that Philadelphia has received one of the greatest 
investments from this exemplary program.
  Beyond just the direct benefits of GEAR UP, Philadelphia's students 
are being raised in communities that are increasingly focused on 
college and greater opportunities for the next generation. Although not 
surprising, it is encouraging to learn that when adults (whether 
teachers, support staff or parents) commit to preparing their students 
for college, high school graduation rates shoot through the roof. Our 
students are ready, willing and able to meet the challenges of this new 
century and the next, we need only prepare and support them.
  In Philadelphia we are seeing renewed attention brought to the 
challenge of abysmal high school graduation rates. I have every 
confidence that as the educational leaders of our city contemplate 
strategies to reengage disconnected students and catch those at risk of 
falling through the cracks, they will look to the national and local 
successes of GEAR UP.
  In the past 10 years, GEAR UP has served millions of students across 
the country. I look forward to advocating on behalf of the millions 
more who will benefit in the future and the opportunity to expand this 
program to even more communities.
  Once again, I would like to express my gratitude to my colleagues and 
their staff who created this ambitious document. The Higher Education 
Opportunity Act paves the way for a renewed commitment to the future 
success of our children and the prosperity of our Nation.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the reauthorization of 
the Higher Education Act. I thank the Conferees for their work on this 
issue, and especially commend Chairmen Miller and Kennedy, Ranking 
Members McKeon and Enzi, and Senator Mikulski for their efforts in 
bringing this bipartisan legislation to the Floor today.
  Mr. Speaker, 60 percent of new jobs require some post-secondary 
education. But paying for college can be a real challenge for many 
students and their families. In order to maintain America's competitive 
advantage, spur economic development, and fulfill the potential of our 
Nation's students, we must make college affordability and accessibility 
a priority.
  This Congress has responded to that challenge. Beginning last year 
with the largest increase in student assistance since the G.I. Bill, we 
have worked to open the door to college for our Nation's best and 
brightest. And today, we continue that commitment.
  The bill increases the maximum Pell grant again to $6,000 for 2009 
and $8,000 for 2014. It also allows for year-round Pell grants to give 
students more options and allow them to complete their degrees earlier.
  It furthers our ambitious Competitiveness Agenda by creating programs 
to recruit new science and technology teachers and collaborate with the 
business community to improve science, technology, engineering, math, 
and foreign language education. These important provisions will help 
ensure American innovation in the competitive global economy.
  The Conference Report before us today aims to provide more 
transparency and clarity in the financial aid process by simplifying 
the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, creating a user-friendly 
website to centralize information about schools and costs, and ensuring 
that students and parents get easy-to-understand information about the 
terms and conditions of Federal and private loans. It also includes 
provisions to require schools and lenders to adopt strict codes of 
conduct to avoid conflicts of interest and protect students from 
aggressive lending practices.
  Finally, the Conference Report includes provisions from the Teach for 
America Act, a bill I introduced with Mr. Castle, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. 
Regula, and Mr. Sarbanes. These provisions will allow Teach for America 
to expand its reach and put more qualified and enthusiastic teachers in 
our Nation's classrooms.
  Mr. Speaker, today's bill will increase transparency, simplify the 
financial aid process, and make higher education more affordable. I 
urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it today.
  Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4137, the 
Higher Education Opportunity Act. I want to thank my colleagues on the 
Education and Labor Committee and in the Senate for their commitment to 
this important piece of legislation. While this reauthorization is long 
overdue, I believe this compromise bill will provide millions of our 
nation's students with increased access to higher education.
  This bipartisan bill will help provide families with critical 
information about the cost of college and student financial aid 
programs. By helping families better understand the true financial 
costs of higher education and how they can apply for student aid, 
families will be better able to make informed choices about their 
student's education.
  The Higher Education Opportunity Act truly an investment in education 
at all levels. To provide all of our children with a high quality 
education that will better prepare them for success in school and in 
life we must ensure that there is a qualified, caring, competent 
teacher in every classroom, particularly in the early years. This bill 
makes great progress toward this goal by expanding student loan 
forgiveness and professional development programs that will help 
recruit, prepare, and retain teachers in the field of early education.
  This bill will also provide more low-income and minority students 
with support to prepare

[[Page H7673]]

for and successfully attend college. I am particularly pleased to see 
provisions in this reauthorization that provide much-needed resources 
to Native Hawaiian-serving institutions for programs to help Native 
Hawaiians meet the demands of careers in Science, Technology, 
Engineering, and Mathematics.
  Again, I want to thank my colleagues from both chambers for their 
tireless efforts in advancing this significant legislation. In 
particular, I would like to recognize Senator Ted Kennedy for his 
leadership and for his years of dedication to improving access to high 
quality education for all of our students.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to support the Higher Education 
Opportunity Act.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the previous question is 
ordered on the conference report.
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the conference report.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the 
yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, this 15-
minute vote on adopting the conference report will be followed by 5-
minute votes on approving the Journal, if ordered; ordering the 
previous question on H. Res. 1388; adopting H. Res. 1388, if ordered; 
ordering the previous question on H. Res. 1384; and adopting H. Res. 
1384, if ordered.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 380, 
nays 49, not voting 5, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 544]

                               YEAS--380

     Abercrombie
     Ackerman
     Aderholt
     Alexander
     Allen
     Altmire
     Andrews
     Arcuri
     Baca
     Bachmann
     Bachus
     Baird
     Baldwin
     Barrow
     Barton (TX)
     Bean
     Becerra
     Berkley
     Berman
     Berry
     Biggert
     Bilbray
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (NY)
     Blumenauer
     Bonner
     Bono Mack
     Boozman
     Boren
     Boswell
     Boucher
     Boustany
     Boyd (FL)
     Boyda (KS)
     Brady (PA)
     Braley (IA)
     Brown (SC)
     Brown, Corrine
     Buchanan
     Butterfield
     Buyer
     Calvert
     Camp (MI)
     Capito
     Capps
     Capuano
     Cardoza
     Carnahan
     Carney
     Carson
     Carter
     Castle
     Castor
     Cazayoux
     Chabot
     Chandler
     Childers
     Clarke
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Coble
     Cohen
     Cole (OK)
     Conaway
     Conyers
     Cooper
     Costa
     Costello
     Courtney
     Cramer
     Crenshaw
     Crowley
     Cuellar
     Culberson
     Cummings
     Davis (AL)
     Davis (CA)
     Davis (IL)
     Davis (KY)
     Davis, David
     Davis, Lincoln
     Davis, Tom
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     Delahunt
     DeLauro
     Dent
     Diaz-Balart, L.
     Diaz-Balart, M.
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Donnelly
     Doyle
     Drake
     Dreier
     Edwards (MD)
     Edwards (TX)
     Ehlers
     Ellison
     Ellsworth
     Emanuel
     Emerson
     Engel
     English (PA)
     Eshoo
     Etheridge
     Everett
     Fallin
     Farr
     Fattah
     Feeney
     Ferguson
     Filner
     Forbes
     Fortenberry
     Fossella
     Foster
     Frank (MA)
     Frelinghuysen
     Gallegly
     Gerlach
     Giffords
     Gilchrest
     Gillibrand
     Gohmert
     Gonzalez
     Goode
     Goodlatte
     Gordon
     Granger
     Graves
     Green, Al
     Green, Gene
     Grijalva
     Gutierrez
     Hall (NY)
     Hall (TX)
     Hare
     Harman
     Hastings (FL)
     Hastings (WA)
     Hayes
     Heller
     Herseth Sandlin
     Higgins
     Hill
     Hinchey
     Hinojosa
     Hirono
     Hobson
     Hodes
     Holden
     Holt
     Honda
     Hooley
     Hoyer
     Hunter
     Inglis (SC)
     Inslee
     Israel
     Issa
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Jefferson
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson (IL)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Jones (NC)
     Jones (OH)
     Kagen
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Keller
     Kennedy
     Kildee
     Kilpatrick
     Kind
     King (NY)
     Kirk
     Klein (FL)
     Kline (MN)
     Knollenberg
     Kucinich
     Kuhl (NY)
     LaHood
     Lampson
     Langevin
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Latta
     Lee
     Levin
     Lewis (CA)
     Lewis (GA)
     Lewis (KY)
     LoBiondo
     Loebsack
     Lofgren, Zoe
     Lowey
     Lucas
     Lynch
     Mahoney (FL)
     Maloney (NY)
     Manzullo
     Markey
     Marshall
     Matheson
     Matsui
     McCarthy (CA)
     McCarthy (NY)
     McCaul (TX)
     McCollum (MN)
     McCotter
     McCrery
     McDermott
     McGovern
     McHugh
     McIntyre
     McKeon
     McMorris Rodgers
     McNerney
     McNulty
     Meek (FL)
     Meeks (NY)
     Melancon
     Mica
     Michaud
     Miller (MI)
     Miller (NC)
     Miller, Gary
     Miller, George
     Mitchell
     Mollohan
     Moore (KS)
     Moore (WI)
     Moran (VA)
     Murphy (CT)
     Murphy, Patrick
     Murphy, Tim
     Murtha
     Musgrave
     Myrick
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neal (MA)
     Neugebauer
     Nunes
     Oberstar
     Obey
     Olver
     Ortiz
     Pallone
     Pascrell
     Pastor
     Payne
     Pearce
     Perlmutter
     Peterson (MN)
     Peterson (PA)
     Petri
     Pickering
     Pitts
     Platts
     Pomeroy
     Porter
     Price (NC)
     Pryce (OH)
     Putnam
     Radanovich
     Rahall
     Ramstad
     Rangel
     Regula
     Rehberg
     Reichert
     Renzi
     Reyes
     Reynolds
     Richardson
     Rodriguez
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rogers (MI)
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roskam
     Ross
     Rothman
     Roybal-Allard
     Royce
     Ruppersberger
     Rush
     Ryan (OH)
     Salazar
     Sanchez, Linda T.
     Sanchez, Loretta
     Sarbanes
     Saxton
     Scalise
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schmidt
     Schwartz
     Scott (GA)
     Scott (VA)
     Serrano
     Sessions
     Sestak
     Shays
     Shea-Porter
     Sherman
     Shimkus
     Shuler
     Shuster
     Simpson
     Sires
     Skelton
     Slaughter
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith (WA)
     Snyder
     Solis
     Souder
     Space
     Speier
     Spratt
     Stark
     Stearns
     Stupak
     Sullivan
     Sutton
     Tanner
     Tauscher
     Taylor
     Terry
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Thornberry
     Tiahrt
     Tiberi
     Tierney
     Towns
     Tsongas
     Turner
     Udall (CO)
     Udall (NM)
     Upton
     Van Hollen
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Walberg
     Walden (OR)
     Walsh (NY)
     Walz (MN)
     Wamp
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters
     Watson
     Watt
     Waxman
     Weiner
     Welch (VT)
     Weller
     Wexler
     Whitfield (KY)
     Wilson (NM)
     Wilson (OH)
     Wilson (SC)
     Wittman (VA)
     Wolf
     Woolsey
     Wu
     Yarmuth
     Young (FL)

                                NAYS--49

     Akin
     Barrett (SC)
     Bartlett (MD)
     Bishop (UT)
     Blackburn
     Blunt
     Boehner
     Brady (TX)
     Broun (GA)
     Burgess
     Burton (IN)
     Campbell (CA)
     Cannon
     Cantor
     Deal (GA)
     Doolittle
     Duncan
     Flake
     Foxx
     Franks (AZ)
     Garrett (NJ)
     Gingrey
     Hensarling
     Herger
     Hoekstra
     Johnson, Sam
     Jordan
     King (IA)
     Kingston
     Lamborn
     Linder
     Lungren, Daniel E.
     Mack
     Marchant
     McHenry
     Miller (FL)
     Moran (KS)
     Paul
     Pence
     Poe
     Price (GA)
     Rohrabacher
     Ryan (WI)
     Sali
     Sensenbrenner
     Shadegg
     Tancredo
     Weldon (FL)
     Westmoreland

                             NOT VOTING--5

     Brown-Waite, Ginny
     Cubin
     Hulshof
     Lipinski
     Young (AK)

                              {time}  1452

  Messrs. AKIN, LINDER and WESTMORELAND changed their vote from ``yea'' 
to ``nay.''
  Mrs. MUSGRAVE, Messrs. BONNER, BACHUS, POMEROY and ROGERS of Alabama 
changed their vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
  So the conference report was agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________