Trump administration’s regulatory reset on higher education deserves recognition
Bob “Shoebob” Carey
February 25, 2026
After years of regulatory favoritism that spoke down to military members and veterans and devalued their earned education benefits, the Trump administration is finally releveling the playing field. Last month the U.S. Department of Education finished the AHEAD negotiated rulemaking. The committee, which was tasked with developing a new framework to hold schools more accountable for student outcomes, reached consensus to implement rules that will apply to all types of colleges and universities — ending a more than decade-long double standard in higher education. The committee unanimously agreed to repeal the Gainful Employment Rule — a selective, discriminatory regulation designed to target proprietary schools — and replace it with a new “earnings premium” test, which will be applied to all post-secondary schools, not just a select few.
