Three Bipartisan Higher Education Reform Ideas for the New Congress - Commentary

Columnist Preston Cooper writes: Prospects for major legislation in the closely divided 118^th Congress appear dim. This is especially true for the Higher Education Act, the main law governing the federal role in higher education, which has not seen a comprehensive reauthorization since 2008. To boot, the parties are far apart ideologically on policy: Democrats would prefer to forgive student loans, while Republicans want a reduction in the size and scope of the federal loan program. Despite these challenges, there are a handful of reforms which may align with both sides’ vision for higher education. Potential areas for cooperation include student loan risk-sharing, federal work-study, and accreditation reform.