The HEA was last reauthorized in 2008 and has since fallen off its pace of updates every few years, according to a review of the process and its current prospects by The Atlantic. Current cross-aisle talk among key legislators could be threatened by the reality of their different political positions, the publication concluded.
Previous HEA reauthorization bills from Democrats and Republicans failed to gain bipartisan support. Two versions discussed last year — the Democrats’ Aim Higher Act and the Republicans’ Prosper Act — found common ground in the need for reform in higher ed but differed in their approach, particularly around managing federal financial aid offerings.
