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Colleges Urge Education Department to Delay Gainful Employment… Again

Inside Higher Ed

Jessica Blake
December 18, 2024
The leading lobbying group for colleges says the upcoming change in administration necessitates relief from the Jan. 15 due date. So far, the department isn’t budging.
Colleges and universities are once again urging the Department of Education to give them more time to comply with the reporting requirements in President Biden’s new gainful employment and financial value transparency rule. It’s the third time institutions have sought an extension over the past year. This time around, they want the department to push back the current Jan. 15 deadline to July 2025. That would mean financial aid and student outcomes data, which are vital to enforcing the regulations, wouldn’t reach the department until well after the end of Biden’s presidency.
The rule, finalized last year, seeks to hold career education programs accountable and provide prospective students with more information about whether college programs pay off. To do so, the department needs to collect more data from colleges, including enrollment, the total cost of attendance and the amount of private loans disbursed to students. With that data in hand, the department will then calculate whether graduates of all programs can afford their yearly debt payments and whether they make more than an adult in their state who didn’t go to college.

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Foxx, Scott Praise Inclusion of A Stronger Workforce for America Act in the House’s Continuing Resolution

Committee on Education & The Workforce

December 17, 2024
Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA) released the following statements regarding the inclusion of the bipartisan A Stronger Workforce for America Act within the House’s continuing resolution:
“Meeting the demands of the 21st century economy requires a targeted approach that sufficiently equips the hardworking men and women – who are the backbone of America’s workforce – with the tools and education they need to keep pace. By including the bipartisan A Stronger Workforce for America Act in the House’s continuing resolution, transformative change that will leave an indelible impact upon generations of Americans to come is secured,” said Chairwoman Virginia Foxx.
“Americans need a workforce development system that works for them and their families,” said Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott. “I am pleased that the House Continuing Resolution (CR) includes bipartisan, bicameral legislation entitled A Stronger Workforce for America Act. This critical bill strengthens our workforce system and benefits job seekers and employers. A Stronger Workforce for America Act also ensures workers will benefit from innovative federal workforce development programs and be able to access to good-paying jobs. It is imperative that Congress pass the CR so ‘A Stronger Workforce for America’ can become law.”

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Americans Value Trade Colleges Over Ivies

Inside Higher Ed 

Sara Weissman
December 18, 2024
A new survey finds that while most likely voters question higher ed’s price, they view some types of institutions more favorably than others.
Most American voters view technical and community colleges as more valuable than the Ivy League, according to a recent survey.
The survey of 1,216 U.S. likely voters was fielded in early December, and the results were released Wednesday by Data for Progress, a progressive think tank, polling firm and advocacy group. The survey found that Americans were split over whether higher ed is worth the cost but generally appreciate some types of institutions more than others.
While 48 percent of respondents agreed that college is worth the price tag, 45 percent disagreed, and 7 percent said they didn’t know. Regardless of political affiliation, most voters believe higher ed is too expensive, including 87 percent of Democrats, 82 percent of Republicans and 80 percent of Independents and third-party voters. Slightly smaller shares of Republicans and Independents or third-party voters believe college’s benefits outweigh the costs—44 percent and 39 percent, respectively—compared to 57 percent of Democrats.

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It’s Time to Expand Pell Grants to Include Short Term Workforce Programs

Real Clear Education 

Tobin Stone
December 16, 2024
Over the past few decades, most kids have grown up being told by their parents that getting a four-year college degree is the best way to get ahead in life. Today, however, as the cost of college has skyrocketed and employers have faced a shortage of skilled workers, people have started to look beyond traditional two and four-year colleges for their pathway to career success.
With so many employers in need of workers with qualifications in anything from IT services to healthcare to the culinary arts, short-term educational programs have been one of the fastest emerging career training opportunities for people looking to enter the workforce or change careers. These programs are typically highly accredited, providing workers with a quality education and the specific skills they need to thrive.
However, Washington lawmakers have created an unbalanced system that makes it harder for students to access these programs. Short-term training programs are popular, enjoy higher competition rates than two-year degrees, and tend to be dramatically cheaper than traditional colleges — but the cost can still be prohibitive, and very little financial aid in the form of grants or scholarships is available for them at the state, local, and federal levels. While some short-term programs are eligible for federal student loans, under current law, programs must span at least 600 hours over 15 weeks to qualify for Pell Grants.

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