The Higher Education Act (HEA): A Primer. CRS Report R43351, Version 17. Updated

Overview & Synopsis

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 financing the cost of a postsecondary education, as well as programs that provide federal support to postsecondary institutions of higher education (IHEs). Programs authorized by the HEA provide support for higher education in several ways, including providing support to students in financing a postsecondary education, with additional support and services given to less-advantaged students; providing support to students pursing international education and certain graduate and professional degrees; and providing support to IHEs in improving their capacity and ability to offer postsecondary education programs. This report provides a brief overview of the major provisions of the HEA, organized by title and part. Appendix A of this report provides detailed appropriations figures for HEA programs, from FY2015 through FY2018. Appendix B gives a brief overview of the General Education Provisions Act, which applies to the majority of federal education programs administered by ED, including those programs authorized by the HEA. Finally, Appendix C provides information related to the eight comprehensive reauthorizations that the HEA has undergone. Other CRS reports provide more detailed discussions and analyses of the major HEA provisions.