Murray: Higher Education Reauthorization, Including Accountability, “Should Put Students And Taxpayers First”

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee released the following statement on Chairman Alexander’s white paper on higher education accountability as a part of the HELP Committee’s comprehensive reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.

“I hope that everyone would agree that our work to reauthorize the Higher Education Act should put students and taxpayers first—and that means strengthening our existing accountability provisions for schools that could be taking advantage of students, not weakening or eliminating them. And we should be holding all colleges accountable for successful outcomes for all groups of students.

“Unfortunately, the principles from Chairman Alexander would move us in the wrong direction and make it very clear we have some serious and tough issues to work through as we negotiate a comprehensive reauthorization of this important legislation, but I remain hopeful we can get this done as quickly as possible.”

###