Nearly 50 years after the landmark legislation aimed to open higher education to all Americans, colleges and students face a new set of threats. The Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) was signed into law on Nov. 8, 1965 to strengthen the educational resources of colleges and universities and to provide financial assistance for students in postsecondary education. During reauthorizations of the HEA, Congress makes changes to the legislation based on changing national and political priorities. But, it is important to remember that HEA was the response to deal with national problems of poverty and community development. As people consider college costs, student aid and increasing access for New Englanders to achieve education beyond high school, they might just find that looking back to the intent of HEA provides insight about what they can do to improve the student aid system going forward.