College Access and Opportunity Act of 2004

Bill: 108-hr-4283
Sponsor: Rep. Boehner, John A. [R-OH-8]
Introduced: 2004-05-05 in the House
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance
Accreditation (Education)
Alaska
Alcohol and youth
Alcoholism
Area studies
Armed Forces and National Security
Arts, Culture, Religion
Authorization
Building construction
Business education
Charter schools
College costs
College graduates
Colleges
Commerce
Community and school
Compensatory education
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Construction costs
Consumer education
Continuing education
Cost of living adjustments
Crime and Law Enforcement
Curricula
Day care
Deaf
Debtor and creditor
Department of Education
Directories
Disabled
Distance education
District of Columbia
Drug abuse
Drug abuse prevention
Drugs and youth
Economic theory
Economics and Public Finance
Education of the disadvantaged
Educational accountability
Educational exchanges
Educational innovations
Educational research
Educational statistics
Educational technology
Educational tests
Electronic data interchange
Elementary and secondary education
Elementary education
Emergency Management
Emergency medicine
English language
Ethnic groups
Executive reorganization
Families
Federal advisory bodies
Federal aid to education
Federal employees
Finance and Financial Sector
Fire fighters
Foreign service
Foreign students
Freedom of association
Freedom of speech
Fringe benefits
Government Operations and Politics
Government internships
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Governmental investigations
Graduate education
Hawaiians
Health
Higher education
Hispanic Americans
Housing and Community Development
Indian education
Indigenous peoples
Information services
Interest rates
International Affairs
International cooperation
International education
Internet
Labor and Employment
Land transfers
Language and languages
Law
Law enforcement officers
Legal education
Libraries
Licenses
Married people
Mathematics
Medical personnel
Mentoring
Minorities
Minority education
Museums
Native Americans
Nongovernmental organizations
Paramedical personnel
Parents
Police
Policy sciences
Private schools
Public schools
Rating of teachers
Reading
Recruiting of employees
Rural education
Safety measures
Salaries
Scholarships
School buildings
School districts
School personnel
Science, Technology, Communications
Scientific education
Secondary education
September 11, 2001
Social Welfare
Special education
Standards
Student aid
Student employment
Student loan funds
Student records
Students' rights
Teacher education
Teacher supply and demand
Terrorism
Textbooks
Urban affairs
Urban problems
Veterans' education
Victims of terrorism
Volunteer workers

Summary:
action_date: 2004-05-05
text: 
College Access and Opportunity Act of 2004 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to revise and reauthorize various programs.
 
Revises the definition of institution of higher education to repeal: (1) a requirement that for-profit institutions of higher education derive at least ten percent of their revenue from funds that do not come from HEA title IV student assistance programs (the 90/10 rule); and (2) a restriction on distance education in terms of relative number of courses an institution may offer by telecommunications, and relative number of students enrolled in such courses, for purposes of student assistance program eligibility (the 50 percent rule). Allows for-profit institutions to compete with traditional institutions in applying for campus-based aid. 
 
 Revises HEA title IV (Student Assistance) to: (1) require a variable rather than a fixed interest rate for consolidation loans; (2) reduce loan origination fees; (3) increase subsidized loan limits; and (4) modify need analysis requirements. Establishes: (1) Pell Grants Plus grants for State scholar students; (2) policies for institutions' transfer of credits; (3) a college access initiative; (4) an expanded distance education demonstration; and (5) a college affordability demonstration. 
 
Cancels student loan indebtedness for families of 9/11 victims.
 
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that HEA titles II, VI, and VII should be amended as provided in specified bills passed by the House.
 
Extends authorizations of appropriations for: (1) HEA title III grants for American Indian tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and historically Black colleges and universities; (2) HEA title IV Pell grants, TRIO, GEAR UP, supplemental educational opportunity grants, LEAP, HEP/CAMP, Byrd scholarships, child care access, Federal Family Education Loans, work-study, Direct Loans, and Perkins Loans; (3) HEA title V Developing Institutions grants for Hispanic-serving institutions; and (4) programs under the Education of the Deaf Act of 1986, Higher Education Amendments of 1998, Tribally Controlled College or University Assistance Act of 1978, Navajo Community College Act, and Education Amendments of 1992. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-07-13
text: Committee Hearings Held.
action_date: 2004-06-22
text: Subcommittee Hearings Held.
action_date: 2004-06-21
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness.
action_date: 2004-05-12
text: Committee Hearings Held.
action_date: 2004-05-05
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
action_date: 2004-05-05
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E755-756)
action_date: 2004-05-05
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2004-05-05
text: Introduced in House