The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released a new resource, Frequently Asked Privacy-Related Questions About Filing a Complaint with OCR. The resource provides details on how information will be used by OCR when investigating a complaint, the ways in which a complaint can be filed, who is informed when a complaint has been filed, and protections for individuals who submit a complaint.
Topics:
Accreditation, Authorizations, & Higher Education Act | Higher Education Act (HEA)
The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) announced it has entered into the final beta testing period for the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), Beta 4. This new testing period plans to build off the results from the first three beta periods. The final testing period will roll out in two phases: Beta 4 and Expanded Beta 4. Beta 4 is commenced through the same invite-only process the Department filled in the first three beta testing periods. The Department plans to open Beta 4 to any interested student or family before the end of the month as part of the Expanded Beta 4 phase. The Department reported a satisfaction rating for beta participants of 95% to-date and plans to announce the official release of the 2025-26 FAFSA form on December 1, 2024, contingent on the system continuing to operate smoothly with the high volume of users. The Department has released a suite of resources to assist students, families, and counselors, college access professionals, and other advisors in completing and submitting the FAFSA form during the 2025-26 cycle. Regular updates on the Beta 4 testing period can be found on Beta Central.
Topics:
Accreditation, Authorizations, & Higher Education Act | Financial Aid, Scholarships, & Student Loans | Higher Education Act (HEA) | Students
The U.S. Department of Education created supplemental training resources for the Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment (FVT/GE) process in response to feedback and commonly asked questions from schools. The resources offer additional assistance and guidance for complying with the reporting requirements and a review of the FVT/GE Completers List via the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS).
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 (the Department) published guidance on permitted and prohibited access, disclosure, and use of personally identifiable information (PII) from FAFSA by institutions of higher education, state grant agencies, and their respective contractors that receive this information beginning with the 2024-25 FAFSA cycle. The Department wrote that the data in this guidance does not include federal tax information (FTI) and stated that a separate electronic announcement will come in the near future, which provides guidance on permitted and prohibited access, disclosure, and use of FTI by institutions of higher education and state grant agencies. The guidance also reviews what is and is not considered FAFSA data and details by application, award and administrative aid, consent requirements, means-tested benefits, scholarships, support services; FAFSA data in meeting legal requirements; FAFSA data for research; and in response to subpoena.
Topics:
Accreditation, Authorizations, & Higher Education Act | Financial Aid, Scholarships, & Student Loans | Higher Education Act (HEA) | Students
The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) is soliciting comments addressing Fire Safety Reporting. Current Department regulations require institutions to collect statistics on fires occurring in on-campus student housing facilities, including the number and cause of each fire, the number of injuries related to each fire that required treatment at a medical facility, the number of deaths related to each fire, and the value of property damage caused by each fire. The Department is collecting comments regarding the requirement regarding: (1) if the collection is necessary to the proper functions of the Department; (2) will it be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how the Department might enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how the Department can minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology. Comments are due on or before January 7, 2025.
Topics:
Accreditation, Authorizations, & Higher Education Act | Campus Police, Safety, & Crisis Management | Higher Education Act (HEA)
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 proposes to amend the regulations related to the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide the waiver of certain student loan debts. The proposed regulations would clarify the use of the Secretary’s authority to waive all, or part of any student loan debts owed to the Department based on the Secretary’s determination that a borrower has experienced or is experiencing hardship related to such a loan. Comments regarding the proposed rule impact the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program (Direct Loans), the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program, the Federal Perkins Loan (Perkins) Program, and the Health Education Assistance Loan (HEAL). Comments regarding the proposed rule must be made on or before Dec. 2, 2024, and via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov.
Topics:
Accreditation, Authorizations, & Higher Education Act | Financial Aid, Scholarships, & Student Loans | Higher Education Act (HEA) | 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
