College Access and Opportunity Act of 2005

Bill: 109-hr-507
Sponsor: Rep. Boehner, John A. [R-OH-8]
Introduced: 2005-02-02 in the House
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance
Accreditation (Education)
Alaska
Alcoholism
Area studies
Armed Forces and National Security
Auditing
Authorization
Black colleges
Building construction
Business education
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Collection of accounts
College costs
College teachers
Colleges
Commerce
Community and school
Compensatory education
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Consumer education
Counseling
Credit insurance
Day care
Deaf
Department of Education
Disabled
Distance education
District of Columbia
Drug abuse
Drug abuse prevention
Drugs and youth
Economics and Public Finance
Education of the disadvantaged
Educational accountability
Educational counseling
Educational facilities
Educational research
Educational technology
Educational tests
Elementary and secondary education
English language
Families
Federal advisory bodies
Federal aid to education
Federal employees
Federally-guaranteed loans
Finance and Financial Sector
Financial services
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Foreign service
Freedom of association
Freedom of speech
Government Operations and Politics
Government lending
Government publicity
Governmental investigations
Graduate education
Hawaiians
Higher education
Hispanic Americans
Income tax
Indian education
Interest
Interest rates
International competitiveness
International education
Labor and Employment
Language and languages
Law
Legal education
Mathematics
Migrant education
Military personnel
Minorities
Minority education
Native Americans
New York State
Nongovernmental organizations
Personal budgets
Rating of teachers
Recruiting of employees
Scholarships
School buildings
Science, Technology, Communications
Scientific education
Secondary education
Social Welfare
Special education
Student aid
Student employment
Student loan funds
Student transportation
Students' rights
Tax returns
Taxation
Teacher education
Teacher supply and demand
Textbooks
Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
action_date: 2005-02-02
text: 
College Access and Opportunity Act of 2005 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to revise and reauthorize various programs.
 
Revises the definition of institution of higher education to eliminate: (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.
 
Reauthorizes appropriations for HEA title: (1) II, teacher quality enhancement grants for States and partnerships, grants for preparing teachers to use technology, and new centers of excellence for recruiting and preparing teachers; (2) III, grants for American Indian tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and historically Black colleges and universities; (3) IV student assistance, including 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) V, developing institutions grants for Hispanic-serving institutions; (4) VI, international education programs, including international and foreign language studies, business and international education, and the Institute for International Public Policy; and (5) VII, graduate and postsecondary improvement programs, including Jacob K. Javits fellowships, graduate assistance in areas of national need, Thurgood Marshall legal educational opportunity assistance, the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, and projects ensuring a quality higher education for students with disabilities (eliminates the Urban Community Service program and certain continuation awards).
 
Reauthorizes appropriations for various 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: 2005-03-24
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness.
action_date: 2005-02-02
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
action_date: 2005-02-02
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2005-02-02
text: Introduced in House