For Immediate Release
March 12, 2013

Contacts:
Kevin Lawlor,301-686-8025

APSCU Announces Top Priorities for Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act

Washington, D.C. – With members assembled in Washington, DC for their annual Hill Day, the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities (APSCU) announced their priorities for the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA).

"Our priorities are centered on three key goals: affordability and addressing the skills gap; simplification; and accountability and transparency. To address the needs of current and future post secondary students, reauthorization should focus on affordability as it relates to addressing our growing skills gap, a more streamlined and easy to understand financial aid system that continues to support access for all students; and improved transparency that leads to greater accountability," said Sally Stroup, APSCU Executive Vice President of Government Relations and General Counsel. "In the coming weeks and months we will be working with our higher education colleagues and members of Congress to help ensure that these three priorities are a central part of the reauthorization conversation."

APSCU will advocate for initiatives such as:

• Access to year round Pell Grants designed to help students complete their degrees faster so they can join the workforce sooner.
• A simpler and easier to navigate federal student aid system. One that starts by standardizing terms and delivery of aid and improves repayment options that ease financial burdens, and recognizes individual student circumstances.
• Policies that facilitate credit transfer so that degree completion is not delayed as a result of repeating coursework.
• Consumer information adjusted according to the risk-level of the students served and put into context so students can see realistically, how they may perform compared to their peers.

APSCU's full reauthorization plan.

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