In the 110 th Congress, the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA; P.L. 110-315 ) was enacted to amend, extend, and establish new programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA; P.L. 89-329). In most cases, funding authorization for programs extended or newly established under the HEOA is provided through FY2014. The HEOA also makes amendments to and extends funding authorization within a number of other laws. The HEA authorizes a broad array of federal student aid programs that assist students and their families with paying for or financing the costs of obtaining a postsecondary education, as well as programs that provide aid to institutions of higher education (IHEs). The HEA, as amended by the HEOA, is organized into eight titles. Title I specifies general provisions and definitions for most of the programs authorized under the HEA. Most of the federal student aid programs are authorized under Title IV, Student Assistance. Title IV also authorizes programs that make available services and support to less-advantaged students. In addition, programs that make available assistance to students pursuing international education and certain graduate and professional degrees are authorized under Title VI, International Education Programs and Title VII, Graduate and Postsecondary Improvement Programs. Programs that make available aid and support to institutions are authorized under Title II, Teacher Quality Enhancement, Title III, Strengthening Institutions, and Title V, Developing Institutions. Finally, the HEOA added a new title, Title VIII, Additional Programs, to the HEA. HEA programs are administered by the U.S. Department of Education (ED). The Higher Education Act of 1965 was enacted as P.L. 89-329, on November 8, 1965. Since then, the HEA and its component programs have been amended and extended numerous times. On several occasions, the HEA has been comprehensively amended and reauthorized. Prior to the enactment of the HEOA, the last comprehensive reauthorization of the HEA occurred in 1998, under the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 ( P.L. 105-244 ), which authorized funding for most HEA programs through FY2003. During the period leading up to the enactment of the HEOA, authorization for HEA programs had been extended for one additional fiscal year under the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), and then incrementally through a series of Higher Education Extension Acts. Major amendments to selected HEA programs—particularly those that receive mandatory funding—have also been made as part of recent budget reconciliation measures. In the 109 th Congress, the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program and the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (DL) program were amended and extended under the Higher Education Reconciliation Act (HERA, part of P.L. 109-171 ). In the 110 th Congress, the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA; P.L. 110-84 ) made significant changes to FFEL and DL programs, the Federal Pell Grant program, and the federal need analysis formula. Additionally, in Spring 2008, emergency changes to the federal student loan programs were made under the Ensuring Continuing Access to Student Loans Act of 2008 (ECASLA; P.L. 110-227 ). In the first session of 110 th Congress, the Senate passed S. 1642 , the Higher Education Amendments of 2007 ( S.Rept. 110-231 ), to amend and extend the HEA. In the second session of the 110 th Congress, the House passed an HEA reauthorization bill, H.R. 4137 , the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2008 ( H.Rept. 110-500 ). The two bills contained a number of similar provisions, as well as many that were unique to each bill. Many of the provisions contained in either or both the Senate and House bills were agreed to by House and Senate conferees in approving the conference report to H.R. 4137 ( H.Rept. 110-803 ). Both the House and the Senate passed H.R. 4137 , renamed as the Higher Education Opportunity Act, on July 31, 2008; and it was signed into law by the President on August 14, 2008 ( P.L. 110-315 ). The HEOA is composed of eleven Titles, as identified below. Title I: General Provisions Title II: Teacher Quality Enhancement Title III: Institutional Aid Title IV: Student Assistance Title V: Developing Institutions Title VI: International Education Programs Title VII: Graduate and Postsecondary Improvement Programs Title VIII: Additional Programs Title IX: Amendments to Other Laws Title X: Private Student Loan Improvement Title XI: Studies and Reports In general, Titles I through VII of the HEOA amend, extend, and authorize new programs under the corresponding titles of the HEA. Title VIII of the HEOA adds a new Title VIII to the HEA, which establishes a series of new programs. Together, the eight titles of the HEA specify program requirements and authorize a wide array of programs that assist students and their families with paying for or financing the costs of obtaining a postsecondary education; and also programs that provide aid to institutions. Titles IX and X of the HEOA primarily make amendments to other laws; and Title XI establishes requirements for a series of studies and reports. In general, amendments made under the HEOA to the HEA are effective the date of enactment (August 14, 2008). However, certain amendments are effective either prospectively or retroactively. Unless otherwise noted, the amendments discussed below are effective the date of enactment. Also, unless otherwise noted, authorizations for the appropriation of funds for discretionary grant programs are provided for FY2009 through FY2014. See Appendix for a complete list of authorizations of appropriations in the HEA, as amended by the HEOA. The remainder of this report is divided into two parts. The first part is organized in a manner that corresponds with the organization of the HEA and identifies and describes amendments the HEOA makes to the HEA. The second part describes changes the HEOA makes to other laws and the studies and reports it requires. Title I of the HEA specifies general provisions and definitions that govern most of the programs authorized by the HEA. It includes many institutional reporting requirements, important definitions such as that of an "institution of higher education" (IHE), and authorization of a performance based organization (PBO) to administer federal student aid within ED. The HEOA adds a new Part E to Title I, which specifies lender and institution requirements relating to education loans. Major changes to Title I made under the HEOA are identified and described below. In addition to these changes to the HEA, § 119 of the HEOA establishes a prohibition against IHEs using any federal funds awarded under the HEA for lobbying purposes or to influence grantmaking processes; however, this provision is not added to the HEA. Part A of Title I of the HEA is comprised of definitions that are applicable to certain parts of the act. The HEOA amends a number of previously existing definitions and adds several new definitions, including 'authorizing committees,' 'critical foreign language,' 'distance education,' 'diploma mill,' 'early childhood education,' 'poverty line,' 'universal design,' and 'universal design for learning.' The HEA contains two definitions of "institution of higher education" (IHE), which are primarily used to qualify entities as eligible to receive student or institutional assistance authorized under the act. A general definition of an IHE is specified at HEA, § 101 and applies for purposes other than Title IV. For purposes of Title IV, a separate IHE definition is specified at HEA, § 102 (primarily for the purpose of expanding the definition to include for-profit institutions). Effective July 1, 2010, the HEOA makes the changes described below to these previously existing definitions of IHEs. In certain instances, the HEOA incorporates into statute provisions that had previously been established through regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Education (hereafter referred to as the Secretary). Students within the Definition of an IHE . The definition of an IHE is based in part on the types of students served by an entity. The HEOA explicitly adds home-schooled students to the types of students who may be considered "regular" students at an IHE. The amended definition also permits IHEs to admit as regular students individuals who are dually or concurrently enrolled in the IHE and at a secondary school. Types of Institutions within the Definition of an IHE . To the delineated types of entities that may be considered IHEs, the HEOA explicitly adds graduate-only institutions, as well as institutions that award a degree that is acceptable for admission to a graduate or professional degree program (subject to review and approval by the Secretary). IHEs Outside of the United States . The provisions in Title I, Part A defining the eligibility of foreign IHEs to participate in FFEL (Title IV, Part B) are amended as follows. (Foreign schools are excluded from participating in any other HEA programs.) Under the pre-HEOA definition, foreign schools, (including in certain circumstances, proprietary, or for-profit, institutions), were permitted to certify FFEL program loans for their students who are from the United States. The only foreign proprietary institutions permitted to participate had been graduate medical schools and veterinary schools. Effective July 1, 2008, the Title IV definition of IHE is amended to extend eligibility to participate in the FFEL program to proprietary foreign nursing schools, contingent on the schools meeting certain requirements. Elimination of the " 90/10 Rule " for Proprietary Institutions from the Definition of an IHE .