Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter voted on Thursday to pass legislation to make it easier for more students to afford the rising cost of college. The College Opportunity and Affordability Act (HR 4137), which passed by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 354 to 58, would strengthen and reform many of the nation’s higher education programs. The bill also includes a provision introduced by Congresswoman Shea-Porter to protect the Upward Bound program.

Among other provisions, the legislation improves transparency and accountability in the student loan industry, streamlines the federal student loan application process, and gives students the information they need to budget for high textbook costs. The bill would also encourage colleges to rein in price increases, and it would provide students and families with consumer-friendly information on tuition and cost increases.

“Rising tuition prices and expensive loans make it harder for students to get a college education today,” said Congresswoman Shea-Porter, a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, who helped to develop the College Opportunity and Affordability Act. “Last year, the 110th Congress cut interest rates on student loans in half over a five year period to help students and families pay for college. This year, we are continuing that work by helping more students from low-income and middle-class families go to college.”

Stephen Reno, Chancellor of the University System of New Hampshire, said: “The College Opportunity and Affordability Act represents real, meaningful, and needed reform in our higher education system. Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter’s leadership and work on the Education and Labor Committee was instrumental to developing this bill, which will put a college degree within reach for many more New Hampshire students.”

This is the second major piece of legislation that the Democratic-led Congress has passed to address rising college prices. Last year, Congress passed and the President signed the largest increase in student aid since the G.I. bill. As part of that legislation, Congresswoman Shea-Porter passed an amendment to increase funding for Pell Grants to enable more low-income students to receive support. This bill continues that work, expanding Pell Grant eligibility to help support students year-round, rather than just during the traditional academic year.

Dr. Mark Rubinstein, Vice-President for Student and Academic Services at the University of New Hampshire, said: “We appreciate all of the efforts of Congresswoman Shea-Porter to improve the Pell Grant program in the House’s Higher Education Act reauthorization. There are notable enhancements that will benefit students in New Hampshire, including the year round provision and the higher authorization level per student.”

In passing this legislation today, the House also adopted a bill that Congresswoman Shea-Porter introduced last year (HR 2700) to protect the Upward Bound program from proposed cuts. Shea-Porter’s bill would prevent the Department of Education from implementing an experimental program that would weaken Upward Bound and reduce the number of disadvantaged students that it could serve.

H.R. 4137 is comprehensive reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA), the primary federal law aimed at expanding college access for low- and middle-income students. This is the first time that the time since 1998 that Congress has reauthorized the HEA after the previous authorization was permitted to expire in 2003.

The bill is supported by a broad coalition of students, colleges and universities, consumer rights advocacy groups, minority organizations, and more. To see a full list of supporters, click here.

For more information on the College Opportunity and Affordability Act, click here.

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United States House of Representatives
Office of Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter
1508 Longworth House Office Building • Washington, DC 20515

Media Contact: Clark Pettig
(202) 225-5456 phone • (202) 225-5822 fax •
http://shea-porter.house.gov/