ED Issues Numerous Announcements Prior to Presidential Transition
1/23/2017
The Department of Education published several key resources in the final days of the Obama administration.
New Cash Management Guidance
ED updated its Frequently Asked Questions on Cash Management on January 11. This resource provides information and operational guidance on the requirements of the cash management regulations.
The updated web page addresses questions about charges for books and supplies included within tuition and fees, interest earned on funds maintained in the institution’s Title IV depository account, and whether cash management regulations related to Title IV aid disbursements apply to deposits of Federal Work-Study payments to a student’s debit card, smart card, or similar instrument.
New Resources Address Campus Sexual Assault
The White House, in early January, issued a second report of the Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault, along with a guide on preventing and addressing campus sexual misconduct for leaders of institutions of higher education. The 14-page document calls for administrators to focus on:
- Coordinated campus and community response.
- Prevention and education.
- Policy development and implementation.
- Reporting options, advocacy, and support services.
- Climate surveys, performance measurement, and evaluation.
- Transparency.
Protecting Student Aid Data
In response to an increasing number of questions from institutions on the conditions under which federal student financial aid information may be used for program evaluation and research purposes, the Privacy Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) issued clarification on the conditions under which the data may be used. The 11-page guidance discusses different types and sources of data as well as obligations under The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Higher Education Act, and the Privacy Act.
