Policy Priorities
AASCU’s advocacy efforts in 2006 will focus around the idea of “Delivering America’s Promise”—promoting public policy that honors long-standing commitments to the nation’s students and their families. Following are key public policy priorities for the Association in the year ahead.
Student Financial Aid
Pell Grants
Increase Fiscal Year 2007 appropriations to fund the $4,500 maximum grant.
Student Loans
Support the maintenance of both the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) and Direct Loan programs and oppose the establishment of policies that would impose artificial disadvantages for the efficient operation of each.
Promote more realistic first and second year undergraduate borrowing limits within the existing aggregate limit.
Support flexible repayment terms and incentives for timely repayment for borrowers, and oppose increases in borrower fees.
National Security
International Exchange
Support the implementation and full funding of the recommendations of the Commission on the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program.
Aid Benefits for Students Called to Active Duty
Hold students called to active duty harmless from aid repayment requirements.
Tax Policy
Federal Reform Proposals Affecting Students and Institutions
Support proposed changes in the HOPE and Lifetime Learning Tax Credits that make them more accessible to the neediest students, including expansion to non-tuition expenses.
Oppose proposed changes in federal tax policy that will adversely impact institutions in demonstrating or maintaining their eligibility for tax-exempt status.
Science and Technology
Undergraduate Programming
Support increased funding for undergraduate programming by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Technological Assistance for Law Enforcement
Support changes in the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) that promote the timely provision of necessary information to law enforcement officials and reasonable compliance costs for colleges and universities.
Teacher Preparation, Development, and Support
Higher Education Act (HEA) Title II—Partnership Grants
Provide adequate resources to state-based partnerships that include higher education institutions (Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants and Centers for Excellence), with a special focus on high-quality clinical experiences, aiding “high need” and “hard to staff” schools, and preparation of school leadership and paraprofessionals.
HEA Title II—Reporting
Advocate for the reporting of existing state-established scaled scores regarding program pass rates to the public.
Access and Inclusion
HEA Programs—Minority-Serving Institutions
Boost funding for Titles III and V of the HEA (Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Alaska Native and Hawaiian Serving Institutions) and remove unnecessary barriers to institutional participation in these programs.
Extend eligibility requirements in Title III and provide additional funding to public Historically Black Colleges and Universities that have created new graduate programs in the sciences and change funding restrictions to allow for the development of new qualified graduate programs.
HEA Programs—Students
Increase support for TRIO and GEAR UP, specifically for expansion of those programs to reach community-based institutions and other groups that serve underrepresented students.
Economic and Workforce Development
Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
Amend the law to include leaders of public four-year institutions in planning and decision-making processes.
Provide for the allocation of disaster relief grant funds to four-year institutions for education and training of displaced workers.
Welfare Reform
Remove student aid from eligibility determination for public assistance.
Increase time limits for education as countable work activity.
Governance and Accountability
Student Outcomes Data
Authorize a multi-state pilot test to explore the feasibility of a unit-record data system covering all institutions of higher education.
Student Financial Aid
Pell Grants
Increase Fiscal Year 2007 appropriations to fund the $4,500 maximum grant.
Student Loans
Support the maintenance of both the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) and Direct Loan programs and oppose the establishment of policies that would impose artificial disadvantages for the efficient operation of each.
Promote more realistic first and second year undergraduate borrowing limits within the existing aggregate limit.
Support flexible repayment terms and incentives for timely repayment for borrowers, and oppose increases in borrower fees.
National Security
International Exchange
Support the implementation and full funding of the recommendations of the Commission on the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program.
Aid Benefits for Students Called to Active Duty
Hold students called to active duty harmless from aid repayment requirements.
Tax Policy
Federal Reform Proposals Affecting Students and Institutions
Support proposed changes in the HOPE and Lifetime Learning Tax Credits that make them more accessible to the neediest students, including expansion to non-tuition expenses.
Oppose proposed changes in federal tax policy that will adversely impact institutions in demonstrating or maintaining their eligibility for tax-exempt status.
Science and Technology
Undergraduate Programming
Support increased funding for undergraduate programming by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Technological Assistance for Law Enforcement
Support changes in the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) that promote the timely provision of necessary information to law enforcement officials and reasonable compliance costs for colleges and universities.
Teacher Preparation, Development, and Support
Higher Education Act (HEA) Title II—Partnership Grants
Provide adequate resources to state-based partnerships that include higher education institutions (Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants and Centers for Excellence), with a special focus on high-quality clinical experiences, aiding “high need” and “hard to staff” schools, and preparation of school leadership and paraprofessionals.
HEA Title II—Reporting
Advocate for the reporting of existing state-established scaled scores regarding program pass rates to the public.
Access and Inclusion
HEA Programs—Minority-Serving Institutions
Boost funding for Titles III and V of the HEA (Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Alaska Native and Hawaiian Serving Institutions) and remove unnecessary barriers to institutional participation in these programs.
Extend eligibility requirements in Title III and provide additional funding to public Historically Black Colleges and Universities that have created new graduate programs in the sciences and change funding restrictions to allow for the development of new qualified graduate programs.
HEA Programs—Students
Increase support for TRIO and GEAR UP, specifically for expansion of those programs to reach community-based institutions and other groups that serve underrepresented students.
Economic and Workforce Development
Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
Amend the law to include leaders of public four-year institutions in planning and decision-making processes.
Provide for the allocation of disaster relief grant funds to four-year institutions for education and training of displaced workers.
Welfare Reform
Remove student aid from eligibility determination for public assistance.
Increase time limits for education as countable work activity.
Governance and Accountability
Student Outcomes Data
Authorize a multi-state pilot test to explore the feasibility of a unit-record data system covering all institutions of higher education.
posted by aascu.news at 3:56 PM
