Congress will soon be gearing up to renew the Higher Education Act, which expires at the end of the year. The HEA determines, among many other things, the federal subsidies given to students and colleges and how they are awarded.
The version of the bill passed in 2008, while successfully simplifying the application process for student aid, largely failed to make tuition more affordable. Some states, including Minnesota, have not been held accountable for cuts to higher education, which have contributed to the rising cost of college.