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Congress Passes HEA Reauthorization….Finally!
(July 2008). On July 31, 2008 the House of Representatives and the Senate passed, HR 4137, the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 which is the conference report for reauthorization of the Higher Education Act by a vote of 380-49 in the House and 83 – 8 (and 1 voting present) in the Senate. This legislation is a landmark for the Perkins Loan Program, since it demonstrates very strong support for the program in a number of ways.
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Senate and House Appropriations Committees Begin Work on LHHS FY09 Spending Bills
(June 24, 2008). The Senate Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Subcommittee marked up the appropriations bill for the Department of Education today. The campus-based student aid programs were all level funded with the exception of the Perkins Loans. While Perkins Federal Capital Contributions were not funded, Perkins Loan cancellations received an additional $5.673 million to help with the shortfall. TRIO funds were increased by $10 million and GEAR UP was increased by $5 million. Pell Grants were funded at the same level as the President requested for a maximum award of $4,310 which is a $69 increase over FY2008.
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COHEAO Urges Grassroots Effort to Fund Perkins!
(June 2008). COHEAO needs your help to send letters to Members of Congress asking for funding for the Perkins Loan Program including the Federal Capital Contribution and reimbursements for cancelled loans. Please help in this effort by customizing and faxing or emailing this letter to members of the House and Senate. This is extremely important in order to support advocates in Congress who are working for Perkins Loan funding! We need to seize the chance to get Perkins Loan funding restored.
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COHEAO and NACUBO Survey Reveals Perkins Loan Shortfalls
(May 2008). Recently, the Coalition of Higher Education Assistance Organizations (COHEAO) partnered with the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) to survey their membership about a possible shortfall in their Perkins Loan fund.
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ED Changes Rules on FISAP to Allow More Time to Repay Loans to Perkins Funds
(May 2008) In April, the Department of Education issued a Dear Colleague Letter providing information about the Fiscal Operations Report for 2007-08 and Application to Participate for 2009-2010 (FISAP) for the Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, and Federal Work Study programs.
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Congress Passes Fourteenth Extender
(May 2008). The House and Senate passed S. 3035, the fourteenth extension of the Higher Education Act on May 20. The new extender bill is through June 30, 2008 and did not offer further amendments to HEA.
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COHEAO Hosts Teleconference on Mandatory Assignment Regulations
(May 2008). On May 5, COHEAO hosted a teleconference on the new mandatory assignment regulations and what schools needs to know. Mandatory assignment is expanded by a new Education Department regulation scheduled to take effect July 1, unless the law is changed by Congress.
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COHEAO Submits Comments on HEA Reauthorization Conference
The Senate and House have started to conference the Higher Education Act reauthorization bill (S. 1642 and HR 4137). Last week, COHEAO sent a letter to Capitol Hill urging Members to include the reauthorization of the program in the Conference Report as well as the Perkins Loans Proposals included in H.R. 4137.
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Reps. Bishop and McMorris Rodgers Launch DCL Supporting Perkins
Congressman Tim Bishop (D-NY) and Congresswoman Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (R-WA) are circulating a Dear Colleague request asking House members to sign a letter to Chairman David Obey (D-WI) and Ranking Republican James Walsh (R-NY) of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education calling for the funding of the Perkins Loan program in FY 2009-- to put $100 million into the Federal Capital Contribution and fully fund loan cancellations. The letter also rejects the proposal by the Administration to eliminate the program. COHEAO members need to do everything we can to encourage Members of Congress to sign on to this letter. Please help in the effort to get signatures on this letter by calling or emailing the U.S. House!
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House Passes Higher Education Act Reauthorization
Thursday, February 7th, the House of Representatives passed HR 4137, the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007 (Higher Education Act reauthorization) by a vote of 354-58. This legislation is a landmark for the Perkins Loan Program, since it demonstrates very strong support in the House for the program in a number of ways, only four days after the Administration again called for its destruction. COHEAO thanks the House for the strong bi-partisan support shown the Perkins Loan Program.
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President Calls for Elimination of Perkins
Today the President unveiled his budget proposal for FY 2009. The detailed appendix of the President’s FY 2009 budget for the Department of Education and other departments is now on line at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2009/pdf/appendix/edu.pdf
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COHEAO Announces Results of Directors Election
COHEAO recently held elections for several Board of Directors positions. In accordance with COHEAO’s Bylaws, an election is held each year to fill Board of Director positions on a rotating basis. The following positions were up for election: Treasurer, Secretary, Member at Large (three positions).
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House Education And Labor Committee Report Comments on Perkins Loans
Following is the Education and Labor Committee’s explanation of its actions on the Perkins Loan program in its version of the Higher Education Act reauthorization bill, H.R. 4137. The final paragraph refers to mandatory assignment of defaulted loans to the Department.
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House Education and Labor Committee Passes HEA Reauthorization Bill
House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA) and Higher Education, Competitiveness, and Lifelong Learning Subcommittee Chairman Rubén Hinojosa (D-TX) introduced legislation to reauthorize the Higher Education Act and the Committee voted unanimously to approve HR 4137, the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007. This bill would make some important improvements to the Perkins Loan program, both keeping it authorized and limiting the ability of the Department to require assignment of defaulted loans.
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Senator Brown Introduces Perkins Loan Forgiveness Legislation for Firefighters
Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) introduced legislation that would provide full-time fire fighters student loan forgiveness of their federal Perkins Loans. Brown’s bill, would help communities recruit fire fighters who are proficient in the latest fire protection technologies.
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COHEAO Submits NPRM Response Letter on Perkins Loans Provisions
COHEAO submitted a detailed response to the Department’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking of June 12, 2007, which contains provisions that would lead to mandatory assignment of defaulted Perkins Loans, define reasonable collection costs and impose a number of new record-keeping requirements on institutions participating in the Perkins Program. The NPRM also sets forth detailed rules on preferred lender lists and of what constitutes an illegal inducement for a FFELP loan.
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Senate Passes Higher Education Amendments of 2007
On Tuesday July 24, 2007, the Senate passed S 1642, the Higher Education Amendments of 2007, which will reauthorize the Higher Education Act. The bill aims to address the rising costs of higher education, reform the student loan system and promotes teacher preparation programs. The House has yet to draft companion legislation. Relative to the Perkins Loan Program, the bill authorizes appropriations with “such sums as may be necessary for FY2008 through FY2012”. The bill also provides for the cancellation of loans for public service. The bill amends current law and adds loan cancellation for full-time faculty members at a Tribal College or University, Librarians (if the Librarian has a master’s degree in Librarian Science and is employed in a Title I eligible school under No Child Left Behind), and full-time speech language therapists with master’s degrees who are working exclusively with schools eligible for Title 1 assistance under No Child Left Behind.
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House Committee Approves Amendment To Fund Perkins FCC
On Wednesday June 13, the House Education and Labor Committee marked up the “College Cost Reduction Act of 2007.” This bill introduced by Chairman George Miller (D-CA), includes a number of provisions that would, according to Miller, “ease the financial burden imposed on students and families by the cost of college, including: tuition assistance for excellent undergraduate students who agree to teach in the nation’s public schools; loan forgiveness for college graduates that go into public service professions; and increased federal loan limits so that students won’t have to rely as heavily on costlier private loans.”
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Letter to House Appropriators asking for funding for the Perkins Loan Program
Attached please find a letter to House Appropriators asking for funding for the Perkins Loan Program including the Perkins Loan Capital Contribution and reimbursements for cancelled loans. Please help in this effort by faxing this letter to members of the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Subcommittee by Friday, May 18. This is extremely important in order to support advocates in Congress who are working for Perkins Loan funding! We need to seize the chance to get Perkins Loan funding restored.
Click here to view the letter.

COHEAO Submits Proposal to Amend HEA
As the House begins to prepare for the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, COHEAO has drafted and submitted a proposal on the distribution of collections that the Department makes on defaulted Perkins loans.
Click here to view the letter.

Senators and Representatives Deliver Perkins Dear Colleague Letters
Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Norm Coleman (R-MN) circulated a Dear Colleague letter asking fellow Senators to sign a letter to Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Ranking Member Judd Gregg (R-NH) of the Senate Budget Committee in opposition to the Bush Administration’s proposal to eliminate the Perkins Loan Program and in support of funding the Federal Capital Contribution and loan cancellations. The letter was delivered Monday and was a big success with 29 Senators signing the bipartisan letter.
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COHEAO comments on the proposed Military Deferment form
Recently, the Department of Education requested comments on the proposed Military Deferment form for FFEL, Direct Loans and Perkins Loans.
COHEAO sent the attached letter.

COHEAO urges Congress to help low income students who depend on the Perkins Student Loan Program
Continuing its efforts to help low and middle-income students afford a college education, in early January COHEAO urged House and Senate appropriators to fully fund the Perkins Loan Federal Capital Contribution. They also urged them to retain the proposed funding for the Loan Cancellation Fund in the FY2008 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill.
To view the press release, click here. To view the letter, click here.

Congress Will Reject Call for Elimination of Perkins Loans
The 110th Congress is taking office today. One of its first decisions will be how to finish vital business left over from the previous Congress - including funding of education programs.
To view the memo, click here.

Senate Appropriations Committee Funds Cancellations, No FCC
On July 20, the Senate Appropriations Committee marked-up its FY2007 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education appropriations bill. The bill continues the Perkins Loan Program and funds loan cancellations at $65.4 million. Unfortunately, the bill does not fund the Federal Capital Contribution. The bill is not expected to be considered on the Senate floor anytime this summer. The most likely scenario is that it will be debated sometime after the elections in November.

House Appropriations Subcommittee Continues Perkins Loan Program, Funds Loan Cancellations
On June 7, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor-HHS-Education) marked up their FY2007 appropriations bill. The Subcommittee rejected the President’s proposal to eliminate the Perkins Loan Program and transfer $664 million in Perkins Loan funds during the year to other programs. The bill funds Loan Cancellations at last year’s level – approximately $65.4 million. Unfortunately, the bill again fails to fund the Federal Capital Contribution.

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