WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 4137, the College Access and Opportunity Act of 2007, a bill to amend and reauthorize higher education programs receiving federal dollars.

H.R. 4137 includes several pieces of Congressman Wu's higher education legislative package. His legislative package is designed to provide common sense solutions to the problems facing students pursuing higher education and to support our nation's institutions of higher education.

H.R. 4137 also continues Congressman Wu's Preparing Teachers for Tomorrow's Technology initiative he authored and passed in 2002. The initiative trains teachers on the use of technology in the classroom.
Congressman Wu's amendments to H.R. 4137 mean:

MORE AFFORDABLE COLLEGE TEXTBOOKS FOR STUDENTS

Since 2003, Congressman Wu has been working to find ways to reduce the cost of college textbooks. The legislation is the result of an effort to connect with students, bookstores, faculty and publishers around the country to better understand this problem at a campus level. It was through this positive process he discovered some best practices to implement nationwide that will bring down the cost of textbooks.

Publishers now will be required to share with faculty the textbook cost to students, to reveal the copyright dates of previous editions, to explain the extent of the revisions in new editions, and to unbundle the textbook from supplemental materials.

Colleges and universities must also make an effort to share required textbook information with students and college bookstores during class registration periods. The earlier students and bookstores know the course schedule and required materials, the more time they will have to locate used copies, which cost students and bookstores less.

MORE COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS WILL CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION AT FOUR-YEAR INSTITUTIONS

Community colleges and four-year institutions across the country will now have access to federal funds to create partnerships to assist community college students in continuing their education at four-year institutions. Such partnerships allow a community college student to register in a dual enrollment program. Enrollees' class credits, financial aid, and administrative paperwork seamlessly transfer between the schools. While these agreements are not new to Oregon, our community colleges and universities now will have access to federal funds to continue to build upon these partnerships.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL HELP TO CREATE A 'GREEN' WORKFORCE

Congressman Wu and Congressman Earl Blumenauer worked together to make grants available to establish "sustainability programs to design and implement sustainability practices, including in the areas of energy management, green building, waste management, purchasing, transportation, and toxics management, as well as other aspects of sustainability that integrate campus operations with multidisciplinary academic programs..." The bill also directs the U.S. Secretary of Education to convene a summit of higher education experts on sustainability. The amendment was inspired by Oregon’s present leadership in the area of sustainability, and to continue Oregon's leadership.

URBAN UNIVERSITIES WILL MEET THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY

Congressman Wu revitalized the federal Urban Serving Institutions initiative. The initiative recognizes the unique and greater role city-based universities play in blurring the lines between campus and a surrounding urban community, and the additional resources needed to serve students and the community. A good example of this is how Portland State University works with the city of Portland and Metro on transportation planning.

STUDENTS WILL BE PROTECTED FROM IDENTITY THEFT

Congressman Wu's identity theft amendment requires the U.S. Department of Education remove Social Security numbers from monthly Direct Loan statements and other Department correspondence. The amendment means the Department of Education cannot use complete 9-digit Social Security numbers, but can choose four digits from the Social Security number.

Moving from the full 9-digit Social Security number to using a selected four digits will go a long in way in protecting students and recent graduates. Students and recent graduates tend to relocate often, leaving them at risk of being victims of identity theft if their statements get into the wrong hands.

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H.R. 4137 is the second major step that the new Congress has taken to make college more affordable and accessible for all students. Last year, Congress enacted into law a $20 billion increase in college financial aid over the next five years, the largest increase in student aid since the G.I. Bill of 1944.

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