AACRAO, along with 16 other higher education associations, submitted comments on proposed changes to regulations addressing prison education programs, institutional changes of ownership, and the 90/10 rule.
The Biden administration in July unveiled the draft new rules, which aim to crack down on the for-profit college industry and restore Pell Grants for prisoners, among other things.
More specifically, the Education Department's proposed rules would carry out the removal of the federal ban on incarcerated students receiving Pell Grants and clarify the requirements and approval process for participating prison education programs. The draft regulations would also increase oversight of college conversions, updating the agency's approval process for the sale of a college to new owners or the conversion of a for-profit college into a nonprofit entity.
The alteration to the 90/10 rule carries out new funding restrictions recently enacted by Congress. As part of last year's American Rescue Plan, lawmakers expanded the 90 percent cap on for-profit colleges' funding to include all types of federal funding, including veterans' benefits. Previously, federal law did not count military and veterans' education benefits as federal aid toward that threshold. The updated formula now applies GI Bill benefits and Pentagon tuition assistance toward that limit and the proposed regulations implement that change. Under the proposed rules, revenue from the sale of institutional loans, income-share agreements, or similar alternative financing options would also count in the 90/10 calculation.
The higher education community comments on the regulatory proposals express general support for the goals of the rules and offer a number of recommended improvements to the language on change in ownership and prison education programs.
"The changes proposed in the NPRM will implement important statutory changes that have been long sought by the higher education community," the groups state.
Related Link
Comments on Proposed Regulatory Package
https://www.aacrao.org/docs/default-source/statements-and-letters/ed-2022-ope-0062-0119_attachment_1.pdf