E-Update for November 4, 2014
E-Update for November 4, 2014
Updates
To protect students at career colleges from becoming burdened by student loan debt they cannot repay, the U.S. Department of Education announced regulations to ensure that these institutions improve their outcomes for students — or risk losing access to federal student aid. To qualify for federal student aid, the law requires that most for-profit programs and certificate programs at private non-profit and public institutions prepare students for “gainful employment in a recognized occupation.” Under the regulations finalized today, a program would be considered to lead to gainful employment if the estimated annual loan payment of a typical graduate does not exceed 20 percent of his or her discretionary income or 8 percent of his or her total earnings. Programs that exceed these levels would be at risk of losing their ability to participate in taxpayer-funded federal student aid programs. More information on the rule making can be found here.
EducationCounsel News
On behalf of the College Board’s Access & Diversity Collaborative, EducationCounsel published the Playbook, a guide to assist institutions of higher education in evaluating race- and ethnicity-neutral policies in support of the mission-related diversity goals. It is designed to help institutions understand, comprehensively, many of the leading race-neutral strategies that have been adopted in higher education settings, with a principal focus on those with some evidence of impact and effectiveness. The Playbook is intended to have relevance for all higher education institutions pursuing diversity goals – but may provide additional assistance with federal compliance requirements for those pursuing race- and ethnicity-conscious strategies as a complement to their race-neutral efforts. It is available as a free download here.
Along with the American Council on Education, the Civil Rights Project, National Association for College Admission Counseling, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, CollegeBoard, and Pearson, EducationCounsel is co-sponsoring a new survey of college admissions officials on how recent legal challenges to race-conscious admission programs have affected enrollment policies and practices. The goal of the project is to understand the nature of these changes and to examine how search, practitioner, and legal communities can better support institutions seeking to enroll diverse student bodies now and in the future. More information about the project can be found here. For specific questions, please email admissionssurvey@acenet.edu.
Events
On November 5, the Center for American Progress will host an event on “Promoting Quality in Higher Education: Examining Gainful Employment in Career Education” at 11am at the Center for American Progress. James Kvaal, Deputy Director of the Domestic Policy Council at the White House, will serve as the keynote speaker and will discuss the Administration’s gainful employment policy. Featured panelists will include: Kevin James (Research Fellow, Center on Higher Education Reform, American Enterprise Institute), Anne Johnson (Executive Director, Generation Progress), Trace Urdan (Senior Analyst, Wells Fargo Securities LLC), Nancy Zirkin (Executive Vice President and Director of Policy, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights). RSVP at 202-682-1611.
On November 6, the American Enterprise Institute will host a balanced discussion of state education initiatives, federal spending, and what the future may hold for policymakers wishing to implement education reform at the state and federal levels in the wake of the midterm elections. Participants will include: Jeanne Allen (Center for Education Reform), Charles Barone (Democrats for Education Reform), Frederick M. Hess (AEI), Alyson Klein (Education Week), Bethany Little (Education Counsel), and Michael Q. McShane (AEI). RSVP here.
On November 6, School Leaders Network will host a panel discussion on “Churn: The High Cost of Principal Turnover” at 5:30pm. The event will focus on the significant costs of principal turnover to students, school systems, and the greater community and how to keep effective leaders in the principalship. Panelists will include: Betsy Arons (Urban Schools Human Capital Academy), Richard Barth (KIPP), Jean-Claude Brizard (UpSpring Education Group), and Laverne Srinivasan (Carnegie Foundation). RSVP here.
On November 10, the Alliance for Excellent Education and Washington Partners, LLC will host a webinar on the impact of the 2014 election results on federal education policy. Panelists will discuss how the outcomes of the election will affect the structure of various House and Senate committees, the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and the Obama administration’s education priorities. They will also answer questions submitted by viewers across the country. Panelists will include: Bob Wise (President, Alliance for Excellent Education), Phillip Lovell (Vice President of Policy and Advocacy for Comprehensive High School Reform, Alliance for Excellent Education), Ellin Nola (President, Washington Partners, LLC), and Della B. Cronin (Principal, Washington Partners, LLC). RSVP here.