FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, DC (July 25, 2018) – “Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives have unveiled the Aim Higher Act, an alternative piece of legislation to reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA). Although we are awaiting a final draft of the legislation, The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) applauds a number of provisions in the Act, including provisions which propose: (i) a $500 annual increase to the Pell Grant program; (ii) to index Pell to inflation; and (iii) to simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application process. Each of these provisions, if implemented, would not only help to ensure that aspiring students have access to the schools that TMCF represents but also allows students to persist and graduate from our Member-Schools, each of which are at the core of TMCF’s mission. Consequently, we are encouraged that the Aim Higher Act focuses on access, affordability and the necessary support for graduates entering the workforce. In light of the various differences between the PROSPER Act and the Aim Higher Act, much work remains ahead to achieve reauthorization of the HEA. As always, TMCF will continue to work with both Democratic and Republican Congressional leaders to develop and enact legislation which strengthens financial support for and helps to promote expanded access to our nation’s HBCUs, both for students matriculating at and those seeking to attend the institutions that TMCF represents.”
Dr. Harry L. Williams, president & CEO, Thurgood Marshall College Fund
