CCA Chairman Mark Dreyfus Testifies on College Access

The House Education Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness held another in their series of hearings designed to gather information for reauthorization of the Higher Education Act this morning. This hearing, entitled "Expanding Access to College in America: How the Higher Education Act can put College Within Reach," was convened to gather information on access barriers to postsecondary education. An invited panel of five witnesses that included representatives from various sectors of postsecondary education submitted written and oral comments. Mark Dreyfus, President of ECPI College of Technology and Chairman of CCA's Board of Directors, testified on behalf of for-profit institutions.

Early intervention programs that prepare high school students for entrance into college were discussed in depth. The value of these programs, such as Head Start, TRIO and GEAR-UP, both as a means for preparing students for postsecondary education and as a tool for helping them to complete their higher education goals, was emphasized as a means of reducing barriers to minority and lower socioeconomic level students.

Mark pointedly addressed the transfer of credit problem, emphasizing the cost involved in time and money to both students and the government when courses have to be repeated. He emphasized that this issue would be cost neutral for the government to address, but would assist students to accumulate less debt for needlessly repeating classes when they transfer from one institution to another.

The value of the Pell grant was also discussed in depth. The idea of frontloading Pell, whereby students in the first half of a program would be eligible for increased grant aid, met no resistance from the panel of witnesses. CCA supports this idea, which would reduce barriers by increasing gift aid to students who are eligible for lesser amounts of loan by virtue of their class standing. Additionally, the panel was questioned on the likelihood of colleges increasing tuition in relation to increases in Pell grants and the value of increasing the overall participation level in Pell as opposed to the maximum individual award. Overall, the panel felt institutions do not raise costs in relation to Pell grant increases; this is a false assumption trumpeted in the press much too frequently, and cost increases are in reality attributed to a host of other factors unrelated to federal student aid levels. Mark stated that increasing overall participation in the Pell program does not necessarily help the neediest of students; rather, it awards grant money to those who may be better able to pay college costs from other sources. Richard Fonte from Austin Community College in Texas disagreed; he felt increasing the number of participants in the Pell program would increase overall access to postsecondary education.

Finally, distance education and the barrier which the 50% rule poses to both students and institutions was addressed. Mark reiterated CCA's position that modification to the current rule should include safeguards to quality education through accreditation and qualitative measurements. Accreditors should be recognized by the Secretary of Education as having distance education under their purview. Qualitative measurements would include student and faculty interaction, student achievement, learning resources and student support services, and the integrity of student support services. All members of the panel agreed reducing barriers to distance education would increase access for students seeking an alternative means to achieving higher education.

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