Higher Education Act (HEA, 1965)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (20 U.S.C. § 1001 et seq.)

2) Why It Was Done
The HEA was enacted as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “Great Society” to strengthen U.S. colleges and universities and provide financial aid to make higher education more accessible.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
Before HEA, there was no comprehensive federal framework for student aid. Federal education involvement was limited to land-grant colleges (Morrill Acts) and GI Bill benefits.