A student-friendly bill passed in the House of Representatives, but other versions are still being considered by the Senate and President George W. Bush.

The House version of the bill would shift federal funds from loaners to student borrowers, help borrowers with unmanageable levels of debt and provide tuition assistance to students who study high-need subject areas, among other things.

David Creamer, senior vice president for administration, said although there are some points of disagreement, the different versions of the bill are not extremely far apart.

“But there’s always a threat of veto,” he said.

The end of the federal fiscal year is Sept. 30, but Creamer said the final version of the bill may not come for weeks or months after this date because the bill relies on the rest of the federal budget, which may also not be released until after this date.

Contact principal reporter Christina Stavale at [email protected].