United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2007-07-31 monographic deposited born digital 47 p. GA 1.13:GAO-07-857 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-857 P0b002ee1803987f3 f:d07857 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-857 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-857 GAO-07-857 Education Entitlements Federal funds Federal grants Federal regulations Higher education Nonprofit organizations Program evaluation Public schools Requirements definition Student financial aid Students Policies and procedures Other Written Product A73752 The Higher Education Act (HEA) defines "institution of higher education" to include public, nonprofit, and for-profit institutions, allowing students at these institutions access to $83.1 billion in aid. However, the act also includes a second, narrower definition of institution of higher education specifically excluding for-profits from access to nearly $1.96 billion in other funding. During the 109th Congress, legislation proposed consolidating the two definitions. In response to a congressional request, this report examines the extent to which a single definition might affect federal spending, other aspects of applicable federal programs, as well as state-level programs and policies. To address these objectives, GAO searched the U.S. Code to identify federal statutes and programs potentially affected by a change in definition, conducted in-depth reviews of programs and policies, and interviewed relevant officials. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-857/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-857.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-857/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-857.pdf GAO-07-857 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-857 Other Written Product GAO-07-857; Higher Education: Including Public, Nonprofit, and For-Profit Institutions in a Single Definition Is Unlikely to Immediately Affect Federal Spending, but Long-term Effects Are Unclear; Education Entitlements Federal funds Federal grants Federal regulations Higher education Nonprofit organizations Program evaluation Public schools Requirements definition Student financial aid Students Policies and procedures