With the new Democratic control of the House of Representatives, the new stance on higher-education issues is anticipated to benefit the academic community through funding for academic research and federal funds for students, according to The Chronicle for Higher Education.
One way a Democratic House of Representatives will "change the playing field" for higher education, according to The Chronicle, is the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. With the enactment and reformation of HEA, low- and middle-income students will be able to expand their education past secondary schooling through a greater distribution of financial aid, according to the Committee on Education and the Workforce Web site.
In addition, a major part of the Democrats' platform is the inclusion of a tax break for parents with children attending college, according to Clare Allenson, the president of the AU College Democrats and a sophomore in the School of International Service.
"Such a measure would significantly reduce the financial strain on middle- and lower income families," Allenson said. "The ultimate goal is to make college education accessible to every American."
More access to higher education is an important change that the committee needs to make, according to David Pike, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences.
"The current House should put more money towards loans for students," Pike said. "There should be ways for students to finance their education."
The second way is the passage of academic earmarks. Academic earmarks, which include federal funds for college students and biomedical research as well as for schools and other social programs, will continue to be upheld, if not increased, now with the Democratic control of the House, according to The Chronicle.
At AU, funding for higher education is a concern for many in the student body.
"In the Democratic-run House, I would hope for a greater emphasis on student grants," said Harris Flax, a freshman in SIS.
With the new Democratic control, more funding toward university research is expected to increase after the decline of funds for academic research in the last four years, according to the Chronicle.
Financial support will benefit the government and the academic community, according to Alex Mensing, a freshman in CAS.
"I would like to see the grants used for faculty research," Mensing said. "In addition, I hope to see the results of the scientific research used for both the scientific community and the government."
A major concern for students today is the increased interest rate of loans.
"I would like the House to put more emphasis on the widespread distribution of student loans," said Alyssa Piccirilli, a freshman in SIS.
The Democratic Party's leading campaign pledge is to cut the interest rate on federal student loans in half, according to The Chronicle.
There is a difference in opinion among students and faculty about whether these changes by the Democratic House will occur.
"With the House and Senate now changing hands, I believe that we will see a definite shift in education policy, the biggest being a reduction in student loan rates," Allenson said.
However, Robert Sicina, a professor in the Kogod School of Business, said he expects Congress to make only modest changes in education.
"The mix of Democrats that will be voted in the House are middle-of-the-road or conservative," he said. "It is less clear that the representative vote would be any mandate for social and economic policy"
