Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) - 1996

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1996 (FERPA) is meant to protect student education records.  The three most important parts to it include parents (for students under 18) and eligible students (students who are over the age of 18) have the right to investigate any education records from their school, ask for any changes that they deem incorrect in the education records pertaining to them and receive written permission from from parents or eligible students to release any of their education records. 

Amendments to HEA - 1998

In 1998 amendments were made to the Higher Education Act of 1965 that affected loans, grants, work study and other initiatives.  Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (or GEAR UP) was also established (which included Early Intervention and College Awareness Program).  The big focus was to provide financial assistance for college to those who receive a secondary school diploma.  

College Cost Reduction and Access Act - 2007

The College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 was, "The largest investment in higher education since the GI Bill - at no new cost to taxpayers."  The act wanted to increase money in scholarships while lowering loan and tuition costs for students.  The five things the act wanted to accomplish was making college more reasonable so students in the middle class would consider college, increasing a Pell scholarship by $500 to reach $5200, having highly qualified teachers in every classroom, reward public servants in college and promote philanthropic participation in college retention and financing.

Two Delaware students who will benefit from the College Cost Reduction and Access Act

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - 2009

During one of the worst economic periods in the United States history, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was passed by Congress on February 13, 2009.  The goal was to create and save jobs, jump start the American economy and make the government more accountable for their spending.  One of the ways these tasks were to be achieved was through increasing the education, health care and entitlement programs funding by $224 billion.  As of  August 5, 2010, $89 billion in grants were awarded from the Education aspect of the Recovery Act.  Some programs that were directly affected that are higher education related were the Federal Pell Grants, Federal Work Study Program and the Student Aid Administration.  

President Obama signing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act