President Bush “strongly opposes” certain provisions connected to the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act under consideration by lawmakers. The White House argues, reports Kelly Field, that “the bill’s accreditation restrictions would ‘hamper the department’s ability to protect the integrity of the large federal investment in postsecondary education and to help students and parents make informed decisions about college.’” It also argues against a plan to provide more Pell Grant money to campuses that hold down costs, on grounds that student aid should not be contingent on college prices.
“While college affordability is a worthy goal,” states the president, “the administration opposes tuition price controls or any attempt to require the justification of pricing to the U.S. government instead of consumers, who are best able to decide such issues.’”