The Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965 is the primary authorizing legislation for postsecondary programs.

Signed into law on November 8, 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, the law was intended to provide financial assistance for students in postsecondary education and strengthen the educational resources of colleges and universities. Every few years Congress usually reauthorizes the HEA to include new programs and revisit existing ones.

Since Title IV of the HEA contains most federal student financial aid programs, we refer to them as Title IV programs. The Department of Education's office of Federal Student Aid is responsible for managing the Title IV programs.