WASHINGTON
The House began a push Wednesday to rein in college costs and make it easier for students to seek federal aid.
Critics of the measure have said that it would do little to help families directly, and Democrats complained that the debate was rushed and limited.
The broad renewal of the nation’s higher education law, the first one since 1998, was shaping up as an election-year fight. Congress typically updates the Higher Education Act every several years with little rancor, but this time, that bipartisan unity is gone.
The bill would raise the maximum Pell Grant, simplify the process of applying for federal aid and require the U.S. Department of Education to post information about colleges in a way that is easy to understand.
It would also set new restrictions on when colleges and universities can refuse to award academic credit to transfer students. Vocational colleges praise that idea, but universities say it would weaken their standards and force them to award credit when it is not deserved.
