Proposed Gainful Employment Regulation Puts Thousands Of Programs Serving Over 200,000 Students At Risk

Career College Central summary:

Yesterday, the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities issued a press release opposing the Department of Education's second take on the "gainful employment" rule.
What follows are excerpts from the press release: The Department released a proposed draft gainful employment regulation that goes well beyond the scope and impact of the previously promulgated regulation. The proposed regulation puts at risk over 2,000 postsecondary education programs that are currently serving over 200,000 students.
This proposal more than doubles the number of programs required to report under the regulation and nearly doubles the number of programs that fail. Such a regulation will only worsen the economic divide in America while doing little to improve access, opportunity, and outcomes for students.
“There should be no doubt about the Department’s true intention here. This regulation, developed by the Department for consideration by a panel of negotiators stacked with individuals opposed to the very existence of our institutions, will cut off access to postsecondary education for the students who stand to benefit the most,” said Steve Gunderson, president and CEO of the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities. “At a time when America is facing a growing skills gap, and many Americans are facing an opportunity gap, the Department should be working with all sectors of higher education to promote access, simplification, and accountability. Instead, the Department is continuing down the path of eliminating opportunity and choice for many new traditional students who are simply not interested in attending a four-year university. We will not idly standby and allow the Department to limit access to critical postsecondary education programs that address the skills gap and capacity gap that exist in this country.”
“The Department should suspend negotiated rulemaking and appropriately focus on reauthorization of the Higher Education Act and the President's proposal. That is how we will create meaningful change that puts the interests and outcomes of students first,” added Gunderson.

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