Alexander Seeks Input on Higher Education Accountability Measures to Ensure Students Receive Degrees Worth Their Time and Money 

WASHINGTON, February 1 — U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate education committee, today released a staff white paper and asked for feedback on federal accountability concepts and proposals to ensure that students at our 6,000 colleges and universities are receiving degrees worth their time and money.

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions is working on a reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. The law dates to 1965 and has been reauthorized eight times. The last reauthorization occurred in 2008. This white paper provides an overview of the accountability measures that currently exist in higher education and considers a number of concepts or proposals for updating the measures.

“As the Senate’s education committee continues our work to develop legislation to reauthorize the Higher Education Act by early spring, I am asking for input from every corner of the higher education community—students and their families, professors, institutions, and others interested in our colleges and universities,” Alexander said. “My goal is to create accountability measures that ensure students are receiving degrees worth their time and money, and I welcome input from all perspectives as Senator Murray and I work to reach a bipartisan result.”

Alexander requested input to inform the committee’s reauthorization process, submitted to accountability@help.senate.gov no later than 5:00 pm on February 15, 2018. 

All comments will be shared with Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and all members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002, Alexander served as governor of Tennessee, president of the University of Tennessee, United States Secretary of Education under President George H.W. Bush, and professor at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

Alexander staff white paper available online HERE. 

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