Congress/legislation

Incoming chair of House education committee addresses -- quite generally -- higher ed issues for the year ahead.

Early numbers suggest students are receiving new federal grants, but officials on many campuses ask if aid is serving needy.

Student loan interest rate cut to be early steps of new Congress -- but will apply only to subsidized loans for undergrads.

Congressional Democrats plan additional cuts to lender subsidies to pay for proposed reduction in student loan interest rate.

In new leader, lobbying group for for-profit institutions likely to choose someone who can work well with nonprofit sector.

On eve of vote to cut interest rate, a role reversal: Republicans critique and Democrats defend bill.

Some students displaced by Katrina are being asked to return portions of their disaster relief money.  

Lawmakers vote overwhelmingly to cut interest rate in half by 2011, but Republicans and Democrats spar over tactics and history. 

When Democrats won control of Congress in November, the change promised the return to power of some familiar names to many college leaders, including Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, the once and current chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Rep. George Miller of California, who has been a visible and vocal presence as the top Democrat on the House of Representatives higher education subcommittee throughout this decade and now heads the full Education and Labor Committee.

Senate hearing on paying for college offers many ideas but little coherence.