After 14 extensions on the deadline and five years late, the Higher Education Act was reauthorized at last.

Reauthorization of the act, which requires more reporting and disclosures from universities, was completed on July 31 after Congress passed the Higher Education Opportunity Act. On Aug. 14, President Bush signed the bill into law.

“There are some provisions in there attempting to be responsive to the issues of affordability and accountability of universities,” said Eastern President Bill Perry.

As required by the act, on July 1, 2011, the U.S. Department of Education will start publishing national lists naming the top 5 percent of institutions with the highest tuition and fees, the highest net price, the largest percentage increase in tuition and fees and the largest percentage increase in net price.

The net price is the average yearly price charged to a first-time, full-time undergraduate student receiving student aid after deducting such aid.

The department must also publish annual state-by-state information on higher education spending and tuition, fees, and financial aid.

These provisions draw attention to the rising cost of higher education, Perry said.

Another provision will have colleges and universities work with the Department of Education to share the ways they cut or avoid costs to keep tuition increases down.

“The advantage of that provision is that we see what other universities are doing,” Perry said. “We might get some ideas we haven’t had yet.”

Instructions on how to report and calculate will come from the department.

Perry said the only downside to the act is the reporting that colleges and universities will have to do.

“It just comes with the territory,” he said. “If you’re an important part of society, you contribute to society and people are using your services, then you should expect regulations.”

There are positive provisions in the act for students, Perry said.

The Pell Grant program increased the maximum award levels and extended the program to a year-round basis.

The financial aid applications and processes were made more user-friendly for students and parents.

Dan Nadler, vice president for student affairs, was pleased with the increases in financial aid for students.

“This should help our students and their families in significant ways,” he said. “Affordability remains a high institutional priority at Eastern Illinois University.”

Perry was pleased that several of the provisions initially discussed did not make it into the reauthorized version of the bill.

“For example, the government pushed for a while to have a federal overall accreditation,” he said.

Accreditation for higher-education institutions is currently done regionally.

“My opinion is that regional accreditation does an excellent job of accessing the strengths of institutions,” Perry said.

He said students could have confidence in that Eastern is accredited by a regional association.

“That was something that was left the way it was, which I applaud,” he said.

Perry said there had been concern over people graduating from colleges and not being able to write well.

He said the reaction sometimes to this is to say that everyone graduating must take a test.

“That’s an over-reaction, overkill,” he said.

Overall, Perry said the act was a positive step.

“It creates more regulation and work for the university but at least it’s for a good purpose,” he said. “The purpose being for student learning to be strong and effective.”

Emily Zulz can be reached at 581-7942 or at eazulz@eiu.edu .