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In the wake of the 2018 midterm elections, we expect considerable changes in both parties in leadership, committee assignments, and legislative priorities. As Congress embarks on the next chapter of an already divisive era in American politics, how will key issues for the higher education community come into play? READ MORE
Higher education institutions that dispute their debt-to-earnings rates as calculated by the U.S. Department of Education must submit any alternate earnings appeals no later than Thursday, February 1, 2018. READ MORE
On June 28, 2017, the D.C. District Court issued its opinion and order in the matter of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools v. the U.S. Department of Education. AACS challenged the Department’s Gainful Employment metrics as they specifically related to its member cosmetology schools. READ MORE
Last Friday, the Department of Education published two separate notices in the Federal Register impacting two significant and controversial rules: Gainful Employment and Borrower Defense to Repayment. Here we provide some clarifying information on these announcements in a Q&A format. READ MORE
Last week the Department of Education released an announcement giving higher education institutions additional time to comply with Gainful Employment (GE) Disclosure Requirements. Here we offer three thoughts on the announcement, a calendar of important dates, and an upcoming webinar on this very topic. READ MORE
The new Audit Guide dramatically increases the size and scope of testing in a student financial aid compliance audit. It is critical that post-secondary institutions subject to the Audit Guide understand the impact. READ MORE
Candidate Trump had little to say on higher education policy during the primary and general elections. What should the nation’s institutions of higher education — and the students they serve — expect during the Trump presidency? READ MORE
Thompson Coburn higher education attorney Aaron Lacey recently wrote a step-by-step guide for Career Education Review titled, “Evaluating Your GE Completers List: A Practical Approach.” READ MORE
If you missed a session of our “Navigating Gainful Employment” webinar series, would like to view a session a second time, or would like to share the information with other members of your team, the recordings of all five webinars are now available free and on demand. READ MORE
Whether a program is covered by the gainful employment regulations turns on whether it qualifies as a Title IV eligible program by fitting into a category of “eligible program” that includes the gainful employment language. READ MORE
The new rules require institutions to report a wide range of data to the Department for each student who was enrolled in one (or more) of the institution’s GE programs during a designated period. READ MORE
The new rules, which become effective July 1, 2015, include reporting, disclosure, and certification requirements, as well as new debt-to-earnings metrics designed to assess whether a program offers a reasonable return on investment. READ MORE
The desk guide comes on the heels of the introduction of our webinar series on gainful employment rules. READ MORE
While the GE regulatory framework includes reporting, disclosure, and certification requirements, it most prominently features two metrics, each ultimately intended to assess whether a program offers a reasonable return on investment: (1) the Annual Earnings Rate, and (2) the Discretionary Income Rate. READ MORE
In the days leading up to a national election, it can be challenging to navigate the waves of analysis and prognostication that flow forth from inside the Beltway, even when your interests are narrowly focused on a specific issue or industry. With this in mind, we’ve pulled from the midterm morass the following key points for the higher education community. READ MORE
The proposed rules would expand student disclosure requirements significantly, by some measures tripling the information that must be reported to the Department for each GE program and disclosed on the school’s website, in pre-enrollment disclosures, and in related marketing materials. READ MORE
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