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Higher Education Makes Its Case to Be Part of the Economic Stimulus Package

Plan Calls for Additional Student Aid, Investment in University Infrastructure

Washington, DC (Dec. 15, 2008)—A coalition of 30 higher education associations today called on Congress to make higher education a critical part of the economic stimulus package currently under consideration. The group is proposing a series of federal investments in student aid and campus infrastructure that will not only provide immediate benefit in terms of employment and training, but also work as a long-term investment in the research and innovative infrastructure of institutions to increase economic and research productivity.

Elements of the proposal include:

• Increase in student aid funding to provide immediate financial relief to families struggling to pay tuition during the economic downturn. This request includes an immediate increase in the Pell Grant maximum award by $700 and retirement of the shortfall the program has amassed, as well as doubling the funding for the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) Program.
• Creation of Higher Education Infrastructure Block Grants (HEIBG) to support campus projects that provide jobs now and strengthen the academic capacity of colleges and universities. The grants would be available for “shovel ready” projects capable of starting within 180 days.

“Students and families are hurting and facing new barriers in access to higher education that come at a time when the knowledge economy demands an ever more highly skilled work force,” said American Council on Education (ACE) President Molly Corbett Broad. “At the same time, the economic downturn threatens our institutions just when they are needed most. We believe our proposal will provide much-needed help to families at the same time that it ensures that colleges and universities are fully and effectively deployed in the effort to restart our economy and put our nation on the path to economic prosperity and renewed growth.”

More than 18 million Americans are enrolled in higher education. Enrollments are likely to surge in the coming months as a result of the economic downturn. The coalition's goal is to make certain that colleges and universities have a proportional share of the final stimulus package that can be used to reinvigorate the partnership between higher education and government. “The proposals also build on the landmark record of investment in student aid and commitment to educational opportunity achieved by the 110th Congress,” Broad added.

The coalition totals 30 higher education associations, including ACE and the following:

ACPA - College Student Educators International
ACT, Inc.
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
American Association of Community Colleges
American Association of State Colleges and Universities
American Association of University Professors
American Dental Education Association
American Indian Higher Education Consortium
APPA (“Leadership in Educational Facilities”)
Association of American Universities
Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities
Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges
Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR)
Council for Advancement and Support of Education
Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
Council of Graduate Schools
Council of Independent Colleges
EDUCAUSE
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education
National Association for College Admission Counseling
National Association of College and University Business Officers
National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
NASULGC, A Public University Association
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
UNCF
Women's College Coalition

The letter in its entirety can be viewed here.

Founded in 1918, ACE is the major coordinating body for all the nation's higher education institutions, representing more than 1,600 college and university presidents, and more than 200 related associations, nationwide. It seeks to provide leadership and a unifying voice on key higher education issues and influence public policy through advocacy, research, and program initiatives.

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