New Bill to Expand GI Education Benefits

The House of Representatives has introduced a GI Bill update to address veterans that attended close institutions and their eligibility.

Read the Full Article: Expanding GI Bill Benefits By Andrew Kreighbaum (Inside Higher Ed)

18 States Sue Betsy DeVos And Education Dept. Over Delay Of Borrower Defense Rule

The first of what will be a long battle begins. Read the article by NPR here.

 

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos Delivers on Promise of Year Round Pell and Increased Flexibility for Students

For more Details, click here.

10 Ways to Avoid Students Defaulting on Payment Plans

This is a good article of ideas to help schools and thus students to keep from defaulting on their loans. I believe most schools do most of these, a helpful reminder never hurt.

 

10 Ways to Avoid Students Defaulting on Payment Plans By Sean Steinmarc, TFC Tuition Financing – Career Education Review

Important Changes to the GE Disclosure Template

 

While the US Dept of Ed has announced a revisit to the Gainful Employment Rule and a delay on the new Borrower Defense rule, both are still currently in force. Schools must still comply with all of the regulations as they pertain to them.

Presently, schools who have programs that have not met GE standards are required to have disclosures available to students since February 2017. An article published by the DeLuca Law Firm does a good job on explaining the new disclosure template and the deadlines on the Career Education Review website.

For more details, you can read the article Career Education Review – 2017 Changes to GE Disclosure article.

Why Attend a For-Profit School?

I have been asked this question too many times to count. My usual response is “It depends.” So many factors go into the choice of a school for students. But it appears that some are trying to find out.

A new study seems to want to see if they can find some answers to this question. And while, the authors stated they to do not advocate for any type of school, their findings may start a new twist on an old conversation.

Link to Story: The Unheralded Mettle of For-Profit Students (The Chronicle of Higher Ed)

Perhaps ACICS’ Final Blow?!

The Trump administration is defending, at least for now, the Obama Education Department’s decision last year to yank federal recognition from the nation’s largest accreditor of for-profit colleges. Government attorneys representing Education Secretary Betsy DeVos wrote in court papers over the weekend that the Obama administration acted appropriately when it revoked recognition of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, known as ACICS. The department accused the accreditor of routinely approving too many discredited for-profit schools and failing to take action against dishonest institutions.

– The Trump administration wrote in the filing that the decision to nix ACICS was “reasonable and supported by ample evidence in the administrative record.” Attorneys representing the department argued the decision followed proper procedures and regulations for terminating an accreditor. ACICS argues the Obama administration acted arbitrarily and unfairly. The judge overseeing the case in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. is now turning to the substance of the case after twice rejecting the accreditor’s efforts to obtain emergency and preliminary orders blocking the decision. Read the latest DeVos filing here.

– What to watch next: The judge has previously said he’ll let a handful of Democratic state attorneys general weigh in before approving any settlement between the Trump administration and ACICS. Those AGs had pressed the Education Department to terminate the accreditor and they have sought to intervene in the lawsuit challenging the termination. But it’s possible that in the meantime, ACICS could also re-apply for federal recognition before the Trump administration.

– The legal battle over ACICS’s fate comes as deadlines approach for the hundreds of colleges that relied on the accreditor’s stamp to access federal grants and student loans. The colleges, most of which are for-profit and collectively enrolled nearly 600,000 students last year, have to find another accreditor to keep federal funding flowing to their campuses. Under a timeline established by the Obama administration, the schools have to apply for accreditation elsewhere by June 12 and make progress on those applications by Oct. 10 to remain fully eligible for federal student aid. Those deadlines could be changed by the Trump administration.

Original Source: Politico.com 

More Times Change, the More They stay the Same?!

My grandfather use to tell me, the more things change, the more they stay to same. Times they are changing and with a new administration about to take hold, the proprietary sector needs to be diligent in their operations. While I see a more friendly attitude with the Trump administration, our sector must still continue to strive towards being better. The following article is an excellent article on the topics that will continue to be important for all career schools.

Read More: 5 Major Theme to turn Career Colleges Around by Dr. Jean Norris

Free MIT Courses

Finally some great news!  I think it is important to highlight good opportunities available to everyone, but especially for educators. MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) OpenCourseWare (OCW) is new available with over 2000 courses compeltely free for anyone!

The website states:

Unlocking Knowledge

MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) is a web-based publication of virtually all MIT course content. OCW is open and available to the world and is a permanent MIT activity.

Empowering Minds

Through OCW, educators improve courses and curricula, making their schools more effective; students find additional resources to help them succeed; and independent learners enrich their lives and use the content to tackle some of our world’s most difficult challenges, including sustainable development, climate change, and cancer eradication.

For more information, check out the site. MIT OpenCourseWare

Stakes are High for the Proprietary Sector

So much is hanging on a very tightrope within our industry these days. With the recertification of ACICS coming up next week, the GE requirements, and the recent release of new rulemaking items yesterday, the proprietary sector has a great deal on its plate. However, I know that it can persevere the rough waters. I have attend several conferences these past few months with professionals from all areas of post-secondary education.

I’ve found that many folks are concerned, but like myself, know that if we focus on those individuals attending our institutions, this too shall past. In an effort of assist in keeping everyone up on current media stories, below are links to a few of the most recent items.

Accreditor, and Accreditation, on Trial by Doug Lederman (Inside Higher Education)

Education Department Proposes New Regulations to Protect Students and Taxpayers from Predatory Institutions – US DOE Press Release