“This damn form was killing us.” – U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

At a June 24 White House press conference, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, accompanied by IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman, unveiled the Administration’s plan to simplify the Free Application for Federal Financial Assistance (FAFSA) as part of its initiative to increase postsecondary participation and achievement. The current form’s complexity is seen by many as a deterrent to disadvantaged students seeking funding for college and pursuing postsecondary education. The plan consists of three parts. The first phase, to begin this summer, will make increased usage of “skip logic” to allow some students to automatically skip certain questions on the electronic FAFSA. Phase II, to be tested in January 2010, will allow some students to prepopulate certain income-related data directly from their most recent tax forms. The third phase, which requires congressional approval, would eliminate as many as 26 additional questions on items related to assets, drug convictions, and draft registration that cannot be answered using IRS data. House Education and Labor committee Chairman George Miller (D-Martinez) has indicated a willingness to consider such changes along with President Obama’s proposed overhaul of the federal student loan programs.

Legislation making technical amendments to the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) has now passed both the House and Senate, and is en route to the President for his expected signature. While HR 1777 is almost entirely technical in nature, it does make a few changes which may be of interest to CSU campuses, including extending the Secretary’s authority to conduct the Experimental Sites program, changing the start date upon which Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits are exempted from consideration of a student’s financial aid eligibility, and creating a new program to grant the maximum Pell award to students whose parent or guardian was killed as a result of the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The House of Representatives recently passed HR 2410, the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, introduced by Rep. Howard Berman (D-North Hollywood).  Among other things, HR 2410 would create the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation, a CSU priority.  The foundation’s goals would include greatly increasing the number of American students studying abroad over the next decade, especially those from underrepresented communities.  A companion bill (S 473) has been introduced in the Senate.

Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-Santa Clarita) left his perch as the leading Republican on the House Education and Labor Committee this week to assume that role on the House Armed Services Committee.  McKeon replaces Rep. John McHugh (R-NY), who was nominated by President Obama to be Secretary of the Army.  This afternoon, the House Republican Steering Committee chose Rep. John Kline (R-MN) to take McKeon’s slot on the Education and Labor Committee.

Changes are coming soon to the California Congressional delegation.  Voters will have to decide which member of the Chu family is best for the east Los Angeles 32nd Congressional district in a July 14 special election.  Both candidates, related by marriage, are trying to replace former Rep. Hilda Solis, who stepped down in February to become Secretary of Labor for the Obama Administration.  State Board of Equalization Vice Chairwoman Judy Chu won the Democratic nomination on May 19th and is strongly favored to win in the heavily Democratic district.  She has a long history of state and local government service, including on the Monterey Park City Council and as a three-term state Assemblywoman.  The Republican nominee is Betty Tom Chu, a councilmember for the City of Monterey Park and retired attorney.

The southern Congressional district isn’t the only area affected by President Obama’s recent picks for his Administration.  Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Alamo) is awaiting Senate confirmation of her May nomination to be Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security.  If Tauscher vacates her seat, Gov. Schwarzenegger would call for a special election in which candidates of all parties would run on a single ballot.