House Committee on Education and Labor
U.S. House of Representatives

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Education and Labor Committee Republicans today applauded House passage of a bill to permanently extend the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act (HEROES), bipartisan legislation championed by Rep. John Kline (R-MN) to ensure U.S. military reservists called to active duty receive flexibility and support as they transfer to and from postsecondary education.

“The bipartisan HEROES Act provides assurance to our men and women in uniform that they will not face education-related financial or administrative difficulties while they serve our nation,” said Rep. Kline.  “Permanent reauthorization of this legislation will show Congress’s commitment to our troops, our students, and our schools.”

“The men and women of our Armed Forces give selflessly to defend our freedom overseas and respond to emergencies here at home.  Some of them are also students, pursuing the dream of a college education just like millions of other Americans.  These military personnel volunteer to put their educational pursuits on hold so they can serve the nation.  We owe them a debt of gratitude, and the least we can do is make their transition to and from education as seamless as possible,” said Education and Labor Committee Senior Republican Member Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-CA).

“I applaud Rep. Kline for his years of leadership on this important issue,” continued McKeon.  “Passage of this legislation ensures colleges and universities, along with our federal financial aid system, will have the necessary flexibility to meet the unique needs of the brave men and women serving our nation.”

The HEROES legislation approved today would extend waiver authority that allows the U.S. Secretary of Education to excuse such military personnel from their federal student loan obligations while they are on active duty in the service of their nation.  For example, the families of military reservists who left their jobs when called to active duty could be relieved from making student loan payments during the time of service, and the families of borrowers serving on active duty could be given relief from collection calls from lenders while the conflict is taking place.

The bill would encourage postsecondary institutions to provide a full refund of tuition and fees to students for the period they were not able to complete because of their service, and encourage institutions to minimize deferral of enrollment or reapplication requirements, making it easier for military personnel to reenter their postsecondary education when they return from active duty.  As with previous legislation championed by Rep. Kline, it would also permit the Secretary to ensure that the men and women of our armed services are afforded all available benefits, deferrals, and flexibility in dealing with their student loans and are not placed in an adverse financial position because of their service.  HEROES also allows the Secretary of Education to quickly react to situations not yet existing in order to provide the flexibility and protections necessary to best assist military personnel with the transition to and from postsecondary education as they work to serve our nation.

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