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 PROSPER Act. [table id=1 /]

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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 postsecondary education and the millions…

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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 significant accountability provisions in current law and the…

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Why Higher Ed Needs a Quality Assurance Revolution

Hundreds awaiting graduation aerial view

Surging tuition costs and lackluster results have left students, employers and the public wondering about the return on investment they receive from higher education. After all, taxpayers underwrite the nation’s investment in higher education to the tune of $150 billion annually, yet student outcomes are stubbornly low, and the quality of college educations are increasingly…

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November News and Updates

November News: Bridging the Gap Between Today’s Students and Federal Policy At its debut event last week, Higher Learning Advocates brought student voices to the fore during a discussion about the gap between the current system of higher education and what today’s students need. John Englehart, a member of UMUC’s Class of 2017 and a…

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October News and Updates

News and Updates Student sitting on floor with laptop, backpack and books

Join us on 10/30 for our debut event: Mismatched? Is there a divide between what today’s students need and what higher education policy has to offer? Join us on Oct. 30 at the National Press Club as we explore this topic and hear from Kavitha Cardoza of Education Week and PBS NewsHour, Rio Salado President…

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Principles for Quality Assurance Reform

Quality Logo Handwriting on screen

The time to rethink the nation’s system of quality assurance is now. Today’s students and providers are different than those for whom our nation’s laws were written. Higher learning is ever more critical for economic success. And, students, taxpayers, and policymakers are asking “what do we get out of higher learning?” The problems with our…

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Announcing Higher Learning Advocates

empty park benches in Autumn

Today, I am pleased to announce the opening of Higher Learning Advocates, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. that supports and advances policy changes that increase postsecondary attainment. Higher Learning Advocates is shifting federal policy from higher education to higher learning. We are focused on quality outcomes for today’s students in an evolved postsecondary…

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