Brenda Brooks dropped out of college 40 years ago. Federal rules mean she can’t afford to go back.
Lately, Englewood native Brenda Brooks has had a tough time finding work. The 60-year-old has decades of experience at CVS and the historic Regal Theater in Avalon Park. But recently, prospective employers have told her, “ ‘You have the qualifications...
News
Our news, editorial, and analysis on federal policy surrounding higher education’s most pressing issues.
ED’s Gainful Employment Proposal: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Current Gainful Employment regulations require programs at for-profit institutions and certain career and technical programs at all other schools to meet certain debt-to-earnings ratios of their graduates or face the loss of eligibility to participate in federal financial aid programs. This week, critical conversations about higher education accoun...
Press
University World News: Republicans seek more transparency in higher education
“Issues of quality, outcomes and accountability are on the forefront of members’ minds in a way they haven’t been before,” said Julie Peller, executive director of Higher Learning Advocates, a non-profit founded in 2016 to advance policy that increases student success.
Press
Education Dive: ‘The sky is falling, stuff is tanking!’
…As Julie Peller, executive director of Higher Learning Advocates, pointed out, despite Congress’s best intentions to move away from standardization and other proposals offering some solutions, the vagueness and ambiguity in the bill may lead to little progress — with accreditors afraid to approve out-of-the-box ideas, and schools and sy...
101: Higher Ed and the Triad
This week, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held a hearing on the complex topics of accountability and risk. As the conversation highlighted, it’s time to re-examine the ways we hold higher education providers accountable for the outcomes they produce for students. So who decides which colleges can participate in federal...
Comparison: Broadening Partnerships and Pathways Under the Higher Education Act
The Promoting Real Opportunity, Success, and Prosperity through Education Reform (PROSPER Act) (H.R. 4508) was introduced by House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) on December 1 to reauthorize the Higher Education Act. The bill makes significant changes to the underlying law, including expanding partnerships and...
Wrapping Up 2017: Year in Review
Dear Colleague, As we wind down 2017, we reflect on the dynamic year it’s been for changes in higher education policy, even in just the past few weeks. In the final Higher Learning Advocates update of the year, we’d like to share with you some recent products and resources. We also take a look ahead…
Comparing Accreditation Rules Under the Higher Education Act and the PROSPER Act
H.R. 4508, introduced by House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC), would significantly change how accreditors are recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and how they grant accreditation to institutions of higher education. The chart below compares the accreditation provisions in current law and in the PROSP...
Press
Report: Federal HED policy must undergo dramatic shift
A new policy framework identifies a three-pronged plan to shift the focus of federal policy from higher education to higher learning by ensuring high-quality outcomes, focusing on today’s students and creating a more affordable and responsive system of education and training beyond high school.”
Press
National Skills Coalition: PROSPER Act moves forward in the House
The PROSPER Act, in its current form, extends Pell eligibility to short-term programs that are at least 300 clock hours of instruction over 10 weeks but includes no employer engagement to ensure that these programs are aligned with industry needs. Several organizations, including Higher Learning Advocates and AdvanceCTE joined NSC in members o...
Unpacking the PROSPER Act
The Promoting Real Opportunity, Success, and Prosperity through Education Reform (PROSPER) Act, recently introduced by House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC), proposed a rewrite of the Higher Education Act that would have a dramatic impact on the more than $150 billion spent by taxpayers annually on postsecondar...
Comparing Accountability Provisions: Higher Education Act and PROSPER Act
On December 1, House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) introduced the Promoting Opportunity, Success, and Prosperity through Education Reform (PROSPER) Act (H.R. 4508). The bill would significantly revise several of the major accountability components of the Higher Education Act. The chart below compares signific...