6.   Repealing duplicative, expired, and/or unnecessary programs.  In order to bolster taxpayer confidence in federal higher education programs being renewed, the bill will repeal current programs previously authorized under the Higher Education Act that are duplicative and/or unnecessary or have expired and are no longer needed.

7.   Removing barriers that prevent home-schooled students from attending college.  H.R. 609 makes certain that colleges and universities are able to enroll students who have been home-schooled without losing eligibility for participation in federal student aid programs.

8.   Demanding accountability in federal college access programs.  The bill establishes performance measures for the TRIO federal college access programs.  This system of increased accountability will foster more competition and allow quality TRIO programs to demonstrate and be rewarded for their success.

9.   Encouraging students to make progress toward degree completion.  The College Access & Opportunity Act will provide year-round Pell Grant funding for students accelerating their coursework and encourage students to complete their studies in a timely fashion by limiting Pell Grant eligibility to 18 semesters, or 27 quarters.