ALAWON v7n123 (October 8, 1998) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/alawon/alawon-v7n123.txt _________________________________________________________________ ALAWON Volume 7, Number 123 ISSN 1069-7799 October 8, 1998 American Library Association Washington Office Newsline In this issue: (157 lines) [1] PRESIDENT CLINTON SIGNS HEA REAUTHORIZATION BILL FOLLOWING=20 BIPARTISAN PASSAGE IN CONGRESS; THANKS TO CONGRESS NEEDED=20 [2] CORRECTION: OCTOBER 5 ALAWON V7, N120 SHOULD HAVE BEEN V7, N121 _________________________________________________________________ [1] PRESIDENT CLINTON SIGNS HEA REAUTHORIZATION BILL FOLLOWING=20 BIPARTISAN PASSAGE IN CONGRESS; THANKS TO CONGRESS NEEDED On October 7 President Clinton signed a bill reauthorizing the Higher Education Act for five years. The HEA reauthorization bill, H.R. 6, was passed by the House in a voice vote on September 28 and in the Senate by a 96-0 vote on September 29. (See conference report on H.R. 6 - H. Rept. 105-750.) Areas of HEA of interest to libraries included student financial aid, teacher training and international education. The new Act lowers interest rates for student loans while increasing grants to needy students, establishes a new teacher training program, and updates international education programs related to libraries. New provisions would also allow colleges to release information on students involved in crime, alcohol or drugs. STUDENT FINANCIAL AID HIGHLIGHTS: The new HEA provides for interest rates of 7.46 percent for student loans(standard 10 year repay cycle) for school year 1999-2000. (This is down from a rate of 8.23 percent earlier this year). The government will make up the difference to banks up to a rate of 7.96 percent as an incentive to keep lending institutions in the program. Pell grants for low-income students were raised to $5,800 per academic year, up from the present level of $3,000. Pell grant students should also find it easier to work without losing their benefits. Even with broad bipartisan support, there were critics. Some higher education groups questioned parts of the interest rate provisions that apply only to lowering interest rates through February 1, 1999 for those students consolidating current loans. Others were disappointed that an amendment by Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-MN) was left out by the conferees. The Wellstone provision would have let welfare recipients maintain their benefits while attending vocational school or college as a permutation on the welfare-to-work laws previously passed. TEACHER TRAINING: In an attempt to upgrade teacher training programs, the Act consolidates a number of teacher education programs into state block grants while authorizing $300 million for the programs in FY99. States will be able to use the funding to reward superior teachers and to train and more easily certify people with subject area expertise in an outside field as new teachers. Another provision focuses on forgiving up to $5,000 in student loans for new teachers who agree to teach in schools in low-income communities for five years. The Act also provides for some experimentation with distance learning programs. INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION: Particular thanks is due Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ) and his staff who shepherded the Section 606 language (below) through the legislative maze. (It includes a new Technological Innovation and Cooperation Program to replace the Section 607 Foreign Periodicals Program.) Many other recommendations from the Coalition for International Education (CIE), of which ALA is a member, were also included in Title VI.=20 According to CIE, the new Section 606 program provides an "overarching authority in Title VI enabling the Department of Education to promote wide information sharing and integration of the various Title VI programs. If funded, it would stimulate Title VI grant recipients, libraries and other institutions of higher education to engage in collaborative projects utilizing innovative applications of information technology, thereby expanding Title VI's reach and effectiveness.=20 Projects would collect, preserve and provide broad access to critically needed and expensive resource and instructional materials on world regions and foreign languages." Libraries are also referenced under a section on "planning for the development and expansion of programs in undergraduate international studies and foreign languages in support of=20 teaching, research, curriculum development, faculty training in the United States or abroad, and other related activities."=20 Although broad in nature, Section 602 relating to National Resource Centers retained language related to "Under Grants to Maintain Library Collections," the phrase "as determined by the Secretary" to clarify that the Secretary determines what international education centers have important library collections that might receive some funding through this program. Section 603 also be an area of interest to some libraries. It=20 relates to Language Resource Centers and strongly encourages the development of partnerships between institutions of higher education and the private sector, government, or elementary and secondary education institutions in order to enhance international knowledge and skills.=20 COLLEGES ALLOWED TO RELEASE STUDENT INFORMATION: The Act would also allow colleges to release information on any student who has admitted or been found guilty of committing a violent crime or a non-violent sexual offense. Colleges would also be able to report to parents if students under 21 have violated laws relating to use or possession of alcohol and drugs.=20 For those interested in the above provisions of HEA, watch for notices from the U.S. Department of Education about implementation issues and proceedings. THANKS NEEDED: This is an important time to express appreciation to Senators and Representatives, especially Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ)=20 (phone 202-225-3436; fax 202-225-4160; e-mail: donald.payne@mail.house.gov), on completing the two year process to reauthorize HEA. Letters of thanks are clearly in order to all members of Congress for passage of this legislation. _________________________________________________________________ [2] CORRECTION: OCTOBER 5 ALAWON V7, N120 SHOULD HAVE BEEN V7, N121 CORRECTION: On Monday, October 5, ALAWON v7, n120 - WINDOW SET FOR 2ND E-RATE CYCLE was issued. The correct issue number should have been Number 121. We regret the error. Thanks very much to=20 readers who brought this to our attention. =20 _________________________________________________________________ ALAWON is a free, irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office. To subscribe, send the message: subscribe ala-wo [your_firstname] [your_lastname] to listproc @ala.org. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.ala.org/washoff/ subscribe.html or send the message: unsubscribe ala-wo to listproc@ala.org. ALAWON archives at http://www.ala.org/ washoff/alawon. Visit our Web site at http://www.alawash.org.=20 ALA Washington Office 202.628.8410 (V) 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, #403 202.628.8419 (F) Washington, DC 20004-1701 800.941.8478 (V) Lynne E. Bradley, Editor Deirdre Herman, Managing Editor =20 Contributors: Carol C. Henderson All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. _________________________________________________________________