National Higher Education Act (NHEA)
The National Higher Education Act was due for reauthorization in the last Congress but was postponed to the 109 th. Congressman David Wu (D-OR 1 st) hopes to insert language creating Asian American and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (HR 2616), similar to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU). In July, Congressman Wu won the support of Chairman Howard "Buck" McKeon (R-CA 25 th) of the House Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness for his efforts to improve and expand higher education services targeting Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students. Asian American and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions would help institutions of higher education better identify and assist low-income and underserved AAPI students. Chairman McKeon stated for the record that he would work with Congressman Wu on legislation to address the needs of the AAPI student population following the GAO report.
Current law allows the U.S. Department of Education to provide financial assistance to institutions which serve African American, Hispanic, Native American, Alaskan Native and Hawaiian Native students. Higher education institutions serving large numbers of AAPI students have not had access to this financial aid in part because of socioeconomic assumptions that categorize a complex youth population of over three million as a homogenous, academically successful unit that is not in need of academic support systems.
