Originally signed into law on November 8, 1965, by President Lyndon B. Johnson, the most current version of the law, the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA; PL 110-315), contains eight titles: teacher quality enhancement, strengthening institutions, student assistance, developing institutions, international education programs, graduate and postsecondary improvement programs, and additional programs (Hegji, 2014). Each title focuses on providing resources to strengthen America's colleges and universities. This brief introduction to the issue explains how the current, 10th reauthorization of the original HEA is a key moment to reflect on the past, present, and future of this important federal legislation. The HEA reflects beliefs about the purpose of higher education, who should have access to it, and how it should be distributed (Bhola, 1989). While these beliefs influence policy decisions, it is also important that policy decisions--like the reauthorization of the HEA--be informed by research-based knowledge and empirical evidence. The papers in this volume identify a number of important research-based suggestions for policymakers to consider in this reauthorization, and highlight areas where additional research is needed to further inform policymaking.