The Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA; P.L. 89-329), as amended, 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. These federal student aid programs are authorized under Title IV of the HEA. Requirements applicable to the administration of Title IV federal student aid programs are specified in Title I of the HEA, as well as in Title IV. The HEA also authorizes many other types of programs, including programs that make federal aid and support available to institutions of higher education (IHEs). The Department of Education (ED) administers programs authorized under the HEA. In 2008, the HEA was reauthorized under the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA; P.L. 110-315 ); and in 2009 technical amendments to the HEA were made under P.L. 111-39 . Institutions that participate in one or more Title IV programs, or that seek to begin participating in these programs, are subject to a wide range of requirements under the act to report or disclose information to the Secretary of Education (the Secretary), to students, to the public, or to other entities. As part of the amendments made to the HEA, the HEOA added numerous additional requirements for the reporting and disclosure of information, many of which are applicable to IHEs. This has resulted in a sizable expansion of reporting and disclosure requirements with which IHEs must comply as a condition of their participation in HEA, Title IV federal student aid programs. This report responds to requests by Members of Congress for an in-depth examination of the reporting and disclosure requirements applicable to IHEs that participate in Title IV federal student aid programs. Specifically, it identifies and describes the reporting and disclosure requirements specified under Title I and Title IV of the HEA that applied to institutions prior to the enactment of the HEOA and those that were amended or newly established by the HEOA. It has been prepared to serve as a resource to assist Members of Congress and their staff in overseeing the Department of Education's implementation of amendments to the HEA made by the HEOA. This report attempts to be comprehensive, but not necessarily exhaustive, in its scope.
The Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA; P.L. 89-329), as amended, 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. These federal student aid programs are authorized under Title IV of the HEA. Requirements applicable to the administration of Title IV federal student aid programs are specified in Title I of the HEA, as well as in Title IV. The HEA also authorizes many other types of programs, including programs that make federal aid and support available to institutions of higher education (IHEs). The Department of Education administers programs authorized under the HEA. In 2008, the HEA was reauthorized under the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA; P.L. 110-315); and in 2009 technical amendments to the HEA were made under P.L. 111-39.
Institutions that participate in one or more Title IV programs, or that seek to begin participating in these programs, are subject to a wide range of requirements under the act to report or disclose information to the Secretary of Education, to students, to the public, or to other entities. As part of the amendments made to the HEA, the HEOA added numerous additional requirements for the reporting and disclosure of information, many of which are applicable to IHEs. This has resulted in a sizable expansion of the reporting and disclosure requirements with which IHEs must comply as a condition of their participation in HEA, Title IV federal student aid programs.
This report responds to requests by Members of Congress for an in-depth examination of the reporting and disclosure requirements applicable to IHEs that participate in Title IV federal student aid programs. Specifically, it identifies and describes the reporting and disclosure requirements specified under Title I and Title IV of the HEA that applied to institutions prior to the enactment of the HEOA and those that were amended or newly established by the HEOA. It has been prepared to serve as a resource to assist Members of Congress and their staff in overseeing the Department of Education's implementation of amendments to the HEA made by the HEOA. It is designed to be comprehensive, though not necessarily exhaustive, in scope. It will not be updated.