Committee Discusses Higher Ed Innovation
BU IN DC
Corinne Tramuta of Development and Alumni Relations met with Washington-area alumni on July 22 and 23.
COMMITTEE DISCUSSES HIGHER ED INNOVATION
On July 22, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee continued its series of hearings on the renewal of the Higher Education Act with a session devoted to higher education innovation. Panelists urged federal support for competency-based learning and more “experimental sites” that enable colleges to try new educational methods without facing federal penalties, while several Senators discussed the need to innovate in order to reduce college costs. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) expressed frustration that colleges would not commit to decreasing the cost of attendance if Congress reduced regulatory burden, and suggested that requiring institutions to share in the financial risk of student loan default may be the best incentive for lowering costs.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS HIGHER ED TAX BREAKS
On July 21, the Senate Finance Committee overwhelmingly passed a bill that would revive a suite of expired popular tax deductions through the end of tax year 2016. Of note to universities, the bill includes both the IRA charitable rollover provision that permits older adults to donate funds from their retirement accounts to charity without being taxed and the tax deduction for tuition and related expenses. While the U.S. House of Representatives does not have immediate plans to pass a similar bill, university advocates hope it may be rolled into another piece of must-pass legislation later this year.
NIH NEWS YOU CAN USE
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is requesting input on its proposed Environmental Influence on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program, an alternative to the discontinued National Children’s Study. ECHO seeks to identify key environmental health research topics that impact prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal health outcomes, utilizing existing research cohorts. NIH will accept written comments through August 14, and is hosting a series of webinars to gather further input designed to lead to a final Study plan by the fall.