As Congress begins work on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA), the financial aid directors from U-M, Michigan State University and Wayne State University were on Capitol Hill last week to present a seminar for the staff members of the Michigan congressional delegation who handle education issues.

The programs and provisions in the HEA cover issues of great importance to U-M, including student assistance, accreditation, teacher training and international education.

Most of the major federal student aid programs and their related requirements are complex. To help explain those complexities, financial aid directors Pam Fowler (U-M), Richard Eddington-Shipman (MSU) and Bryan Terry (WSU) walked the staff through the basics of the major federal aid programs and their requirements, the federal methodology for determining need and some sample financial aid packages.

Four members of the Michigan delegation serve on the House Education and Workforce Committee, which has jurisdiction over the legislation: Democrat Dale Kildee and Republicans Vern Ehlers, Pete Hoekstra and Fred Upton. Kildee is the ranking minority member on the subcommittee charged with reauthorization, and Ehlers and Upton serve on the subcommittee.

Congress is expected to work on reauthorization for at least another year. During that time, the U-M Washington, D.C., office will continue to work with people at the Ann Arbor campus to provide additional input to lawmakers.

For more details regarding the Higher Education Act reauthorization, contact Cindy Bank at (202) 554-0578 or bankc@umich.edu.