John Kline: “I thank the gentlelady, Ms. Foxx, for yielding. Madam Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 2117, the Protecting Academic…”

“I thank the gentlelady, Ms. Foxx, for yielding. Madam Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 2117, the Protecting Academic Freedom in Higher Education Act. The legislation before us today is driven by a simple goal: to ensure Washington isn't adding to the burden of rising college costs by imposing burdensome regulations. Last year, tuition and fees at public 4-year colleges and universities increased over 8 percent. The average 4-year public college student now graduates with roughly $22,000 in debt. Helping more students realize the dream of an affordable higher education is a shared goal. However, solving a problem like rising college costs starts with recognizing that, as is so often the case, Washington is part of the problem. Each year, the average higher education institution spends a significant amount of time and money complying with Federal regulations and reporting requirements, costs that can trickle down to students' tuitions and fees. H.R. 2117 will eliminate two unnecessarily burdensome regulations advanced by the Department of Education in late 2010. The credit-hour and State authorization regulations were part of a so-called ``program integrity'' package that significantly increased Federal intrusion in academic affairs. {time} 1330 The credit-hour regulation attempts to measure student learning at the Federal level, and restricts colleges from offering outside coursework and creative learning opportunities that could help students save money and graduate early.…”