Simplifying the Application for Student Aid Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5528, the Simplifying the Application for Student Aid Act.

I have the great privilege of representing Colorado's major research universities: Colorado State University in Fort Collins, and the University of Colorado flagship campus in Boulder, Colorado. When I speak with financial aid offices and students who receive financial aid at both institutions, one of the first priorities and issues I hear about is how we can allow students to complete the FAFSA and hear back earlier.

The FAFSA was initially created to help open the doors and make college within reach for more students; but unfortunately, too often, it has grown unwieldy, and students are forced to make decisions about where they go and whether they go to college before even knowing how much aid they are scheduled to receive.

Under this legislation, students will be able to complete the FAFSA several months earlier than they do now--very important. And the bill also links data with the IRS data retrieval tool, so information can populate automatically in the FAFSA form. These changes alone will go a long way toward making the process for completing the FAFSA simpler and easier.

I am proud to have worked with Representatives Pocan, Roe of Tennessee, and Heck of Nevada to have introduced this bill, and I am very excited it is coming before the floor for a vote.

Now, this bill is important. It is a good, bipartisan first step, but it is one of many things that Congress needs to do to improve college access and the completion rate for students.

For example, allowing students to take college courses in high school could significantly reduce the overall price they pay for college. When a student takes dual enrollment courses, they are more likely to attend college and less likely to need remedial courses. We have high schools in my home State and in my district where students graduate high school with an associate's degree at essentially no cost to them, thanks to dual enrollment.

We also need to look at innovative learning models, like competency- based education, which allows students to progress through their degree based on what they know instead of seat time. This model provides a more flexible path to a degree. It could be higher quality, less expensive, and more challenging than a traditional program.

Another key part of reducing the cost of college is confronting the cost of materials. A student in Colorado spends an average of $1,200 a year on textbooks alone. Open source textbooks, which are openly licensed and free to use, can eliminate that cost.

In order to address these ideas, reforms, and more, we need a comprehensive reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. A reauthorization will take Democrats and Republicans working together, just like we did on this bill, which is an important first step.

I am hopeful that, in the coming months, members of the Education and the Workforce Committee can begin to lay the groundwork for a reauthorization of the HEA that truly helps make college more affordable and meets the changing needs of a global economy.

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