The U.S. Department of Education Notice of New Information Collection Request and Invitation to Comment. The Department is soliciting public comment related to the already approved information collection request, The Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG). Specifically, the Department wants to know: (1) is the collection necessary to the proper functions of the Department; (2) will the information be processed in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the Department minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents. Written comments and recommendations should be submitted on or before November 29, 2024, via www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
Topics:
Accreditation, Authorizations, & Higher Education Act | Financial Aid, Scholarships, & Student Loans | Students
U.S. Department of Education Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) electronic announcement regarding transmission of the revised draft Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment (FVT/GE) Completers List to schools. FSA announced that it planned to remit the List over the weekend of Oct. 26-27, 2024, through GEFVCMOP to each school’s Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG) TG mailbox, for all institutions enrolled for NSLDS FVT/GE reporting. The GE/FVT is used to calculate debt-to-earnings (D/E) and earnings premium (EP) measures, which will factor into GE determinations. Schools have until Jan. 15, 2025, to review and correct student information on the revised draft FVT/GE Completers List.
Topics:
Accreditation, Authorizations, & Higher Education Act | Financial Aid, Scholarships, & Student Loans | Higher Education Act (HEA) | Program Integrity & Gainful Employment | Students
The U.S. Department of Education Office of Federal Student Aid published a reminder to institutions regarding the requirement to disclose all related party transactions in audited financial statements and further explanation as to how institutions can comply with the requirements given recent guidance provided by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). While new regulatory requirements concerning the related party transaction requirements went into effect July 1, 2024, the new regulations do not change the requirements for reporting the transactions, which have been in place since 1997. Instead, the new regulations require specific information on related party disclosures to clearly identify the related party being disclosed. Further, the new regulations require institutions to provide an affirmative disclosure that an institution had no related party relationships and transactions to disclose.
Topics:
Accreditation, Authorizations, & Higher Education Act | Financial Aid, Scholarships, & Student Loans | Students
Joint Status Report. Plaintiff, an online program management firm, brought claims against the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) regarding its February 2023 Dear Colleague Letter regarding Requirements and Responsibilities for Third-Party Services and Institutions (the DLC). Plaintiff alleged that the Department’s use of the sub-regulatory DCL to (1) expand the definition of third-party servicers (TPS) to include “entities performing the function of student recruiting and retention, the provision of software products and services involving Title IV administration activities, and the provision of educational content and instruction,” and (2) prohibit colleges and universities from contracting with third-party servicers located outside of the united States or entities “owned or operated by any individual who is not a U.S. Citizen or national or a lawful U.S. permanent resident,” exceeded its authority to make substantive changes without formally going through the federal rule-making process. The Joint Status Report states that the Department intends to rescind the DCL by November 18th.
Topics:
Accreditation, Authorizations, & Higher Education Act | Financial Aid, Scholarships, & Student Loans | Higher Education Act (HEA) | Students
The U.S. Supreme Court granted Certiorari in a trio of cases originating from the Fifth and Tenth Circuits. Oklahoma v. EPA, Pacificorp v. EPA, and EPA v. Calumet Shreveport RFG, all involve challenges to regulations issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Clean Air Act. While the Fifth Circuit considered claims before it on the merits, the Tenth Circuit granted the EPA’s request to transfer venue to the DC Circuit Court, creating a circuit split. The U.S. Supreme Court accepted cert to resolve the question of when venue is necessary in the DC Circuit to resolve challenges to “nationally applicable regulations,” and actions with “nationwide scope or effect,” rather than before a regional U.S. Court of Appeals for those matters that are “locally or regionally applicable.” The cases are likely to be argued in late February or March of 2025.
Topics:
Accreditation, Authorizations, & Higher Education Act | Higher Education Act (HEA)
The U.S. Department of Education Office of Federal Student issued a new requirement for every organization enrolled in a Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG) account. Organizations must review and validate their TG/FT numbers and Electronic Services user accounts, including TG numbers with access to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS), Professional Access website, the Common Organization and Disbursement (COD) System, and all FAFSA Partner Portal and EDconnect user accounts. Third party servicers are also required to validate their organization’s SAIG mailboxes and Electronic Services accounts. Failure to accurately complete the process can result in loss of access to Federal Student Aid data systems, including services such as Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) deliveries, ISIR requests, FAFSA corrections, and NSLDS enrollment reporting and updates. The deadline to complete the process is December 10th
Topics:
Accreditation, Authorizations, & Higher Education Act | Financial Aid, Scholarships, & Student Loans | Higher Education Act (HEA) | Students
The American Council on Education released an updated version of its brief regarding Understanding College and University Endowments (the Brief). The Brief, which was published in preparation for the upcoming significant tax reform effort Congress is preparing for 2025, examines how endowment funds support an institution’s educational mission, enhance access, and bolster innovation. It includes data from the 2023 NACUBO Commonfund Study of Endowments, notably finding that 66% of endowment spending in FY 2023 was on student financial aid and academic programs.
Topics:
Accreditation, Authorizations, & Higher Education Act
Summary from the National Association of College and University business Officers on legislative and regulatory actions that occurred from October 8-28, 2024. This summary highlights the letter that was recently sent to Congress from the American Council on Education and 26 other associations urging it to remove provisions from the defense bill; a letter sent to the Education Secretary and the Office of Management and Budget Director from the Student Aid Alliance and 40 other organizations requesting increase to the maximum Pell award and other campus based aid programs; and that registration is open for NACUBO’s post-election recap and insights webinar scheduled for November 19th.
Topics:
Accreditation, Authorizations, & Higher Education Act
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) submitted a proposed Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) Information Collection Request for the 2025-26 and 2027-28 academic years to the Federal Register for public comment. The CRDC collects data and information about student access to educational opportunities and resources as well as school climate factors from public primary and secondary schools. The CRDC published in the Federal Register October 17, and comments are due by December 16, 2024.
Topics:
Accreditation, Authorizations, & Higher Education Act
Letter from the American Council on Education (ACE) and nineteen other organizations to the Republican Tax Teams of the House Ways and Means Committee. The Letter emphasized the importance of tax reforms that benefit postsecondary students, families, and institutions, and outlined four critical policy proposals aimed at enhancing educational access and financial support. Specifically, the Letter calls for reforms to (1) simplify higher education tax credits, including the American Opportunity Tax Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit; (2) repeal the taxability of Pell Grants; and (3) restore advance refunds of tax-exempt bond financing and the repeal or reform of the excise tax on investment income of private colleges and universities (the “endowment tax”).
Topics:
Accreditation, Authorizations, & Higher Education Act
