Penn plans to work with interest groups in order to modify the Higher Education Act so the legislation corresponds with the University's interests, according to Bill Andresen, head of Penn's office in Washington.
The Higher Education Act was renewed by the U.S. House of Representatives last week and largely focuses on the cost of education.
The University hopes to influence a committee of congressmen and senators that will resolve differences between the bills passed in the House and the Senate reauthorizing the act. The Senate's version was passed last spring.
"We're still sorting through the issues," Andresen said. One inconsistent provision that Andresen said he believes is especially noteworthy concerns tuition increases.
The Senate's version asks the Secretary of Education to develop a process to monitor tuition increases and conduct a study, while the House's edition calls for the education department to make lists of universities that are raising tuition more than others.
Andresen said Penn supports the Senate's version because the House's bill creates "more of a bad-actor list."
Other inconsistencies deal with monitoring endowment spending and illegal downloading.
In the case of endowment spending, the House's version has an amendment that calls for the Secretary of Education to release an annual report on how universities are using their endowments to make education more affordable. The Senate's edition has no such provision.
Penn Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli said the University was "supportive" of Congress' efforts, but would work to ensure that "undue financial burdens" are not placed on colleges.
In addition to arguing about the contested elements in the bills, Penn will try to make sure that some similarities between the two pieces of legislation are incorporated into the final product, Andresen said.
For example, both versions include provisions that would make Pell grants available year round, not just during the school year.
The issue of making higher education more affordable is one of importance to Congressman Chaka Fattah, whose district includes University City.
In a statement, Fattah said he "strongly supported" the act and other legislative efforts "to level the playing field so the critical stepping stone of a college degree becomes available to low-income and underserved students."
The bill received bipartisan support in the House, with a vote of 354-58 in favor of reauthorization.
The members of the conference committee have not yet been chosen. Andresen said he suspects a final version of the bill, approved by both legislative chambers, will not be completed until late spring.
