The PROSPER Act, which would reauthorize and substantially reform the Higher Education Act, represents the best chance for education reform in decades. PROSPER stands for “Promoting Real Opportunity, Success, and Prosperity through Education Reform,” and NAS is pleased to have played a role in its development.
In a few weeks, the bill will likely come before the House of Representatives for a vote. We encourage NAS members to write and call their Representatives to express support.
Today at 3:00 PM Eastern time we will hold a conference call for NAS members, providing a primer on the PROSPER Act and some ideas for how you can be involved in the legislative process. We also provide below a template letter, phone call script, and sample social media posts for NAS members and concerned citizens who would like to urge Congress to pass the PROSPER Act.
About the Higher Education Act
The reauthorization of the Higher Education Act presents a signal opportunity to repair American colleges and universities. Last year, NAS released the , a detailed list of policy recommendations for the Higher Education Act. We mailed to every member of the House and Senate education committees a copy of the Freedom to Learn Amendments along with a that more than 300 academics and citizens signed.
We are pleased that the PROSPER Act, which would reauthorize the Higher Education Act, includes many, though not all, of NAS’s proposed Freedom to Learn Amendments. We invite NAS members and other concerned citizens to urge Congress to pass a the PROSPER Act in order to protect freedom of speech and expression; streamline federal student aid; open higher education to marketplace competition; and set American higher education on firmer ground.
Join NAS’s conference call at 3:00 PM Eastern TODAY.
We’ll discuss what the PROSPER Act is, what changes it would make, and what you can do.
Call-in Number: 1-903-230-0168
Conference Code: 3534925
Send an email or a letter to your member of Congress.
Download NAS’s two-page template letter >
Call your Representative
Share on social media.
Let your Representatives know that you believe the PROSPER Act would improve higher education.
Sample Facebook posts
- The Higher Education Act has turned into a special interest bonanza. It privileges legacy colleges and bureaucrats. The PROSPER Act makes major steps toward overhauling the system. Congress should pass the PROSPER Act. https://www.nas.org/articles/prosper_act_strong_on_student_loan_reform_and_religious_freedom_insufficien
- “Free speech zones and restrictive speech codes are inherently at odds with the freedom of speech guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution” – a key clause in the PROSPER Act. Congress must protect free speech, and the PROSPER Act is an important start. https://www.nas.org/articles/prosper_act_strong_on_student_loan_reform_and_religious_freedom_insufficien
Sample Tweets
- The PROSPER Act is strong on student loan reform and religious freedom and offers improved protections for free speech. Thank you, @EdWorkforce & @virginiafoxx! http://thehill.com/opinion/education/388929-congress-pass-the-prosper-act-for-federal-student-aid-reform
- Congress should pass the PROSPER Act. It calls out speech zones and provides transparency for college speech policies. https://www.nas.org/articles/prosper_act_strong_on_student_loan_reform_and_religious_freedom_insufficien
- The PROSPER Act protects students’ religious freedom and stops the government from penalizing religious colleges. Congress should pass PROSPER at once. https://www.nas.org/articles/prosper_act_strong_on_student_loan_reform_and_religious_freedom_insufficien
- PROSPER Act would repeal “gainful employment” rule and other burdensome regulations that stifled innovation and competition. https://www.nas.org/articles/prosper_act_strong_on_student_loan_reform_and_religious_freedom_insufficien
Join NAS.
Stand with us as we fight for intellectual freedom and the integrity of higher education.
