The U.S. Department of Education completed a negotiated rulemaking process that resulted in a new federal regulation, as outlined in the Federal Register under "Program Integrity and Institutional Quality: Distance Education and Return of Title IV, HEA Funds" (Docket ID: ED-2024-OPE-0050), that has significant implications for all distance education programs. AACRAO had several concerns about the proposed regulations that were shared with the Department during the negotiated rulemaking process. AACRAO is happy to see that many of the provisions of concern were addressed by the final regulations, including:
- The final regulations do NOT require institutions to take attendance.
- The final regulations do NOT make asynchronous distance education clock-hour programs ineligible for federal student aid.
- The final regulations will require institutions to report, via the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS), students as enrolled in either in-person, distance, or hybrid programs. The reporting deadline for this is July 1, 2027.