Sen. Alexander’s Higher Education Proposals Ignore Student’s Most Pressing Needs

Posted September 19, 2019
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Earlier today, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) outlined a series of piecemeal bills to address a variety of challenges facing students as they struggle throughout the process of applying for, affording, and completing a higher education. The proposals would impact the FAFSA, Pell Grant applicant eligibility, and how Pell awards can be spent, among other proposals.

In response to the outline of Sen. Alexander’s proposals, Rachel Fleischer, Executive Director of Young Invincibles, released the following statement:

Abandoning a reauthorization of the Higher Education Act is deeply disappointing to the millions of students struggling to afford tuition that has skyrocketed by 30 percent in the last decade. We need a comprehensive reauthorization of the HEA that actually addresses the biggest challenges facing today’s students — including affordability. Sen. Alexander clearly has no interest in tackling these big problems, so he’s kicking the can down the road while students continue to struggle to afford a higher education.

But Sen. Alexander’s holding funding for HBCUs and MSIs hostage to pass this watered-down package of bills is simply unacceptable. We join our allies in calling for Sen. Alexanders to let the FUTURE Act get a vote in the Senate and ask him recommit himself to passing a reauthorization of the HEA that gives students the support they need and deserve.”