What Did I Miss in Washington? April 16-29, 2019
4/29/2019
The steady stream of news emerging from the nation’s capital can be overwhelming. NACUBO highlights key actions and provides the status of top higher education business concerns.
On the Hill
90/10 Rule Gets Renewed Interest as Vets’ Groups Urge Congress to Act
Responding to concerns raised by many veterans’ advocacy groups, the House Education and House Veterans’ Affairs Committees recently held a joint field hearing at Grossmont College, titled “Protecting Those Who Protect Us: Ensuring the Success of our Student Veterans.” Veterans groups have long argued that the 90/10 rule, which doesn’t currently require that veterans’ and military service education benefits like the Post-9/11 GI Bill be counted for 90/10 compliance, incentivizes for-profit institutions to aggressively market to veterans despite the fact that these institutions typically have lower completion rates and higher student loan default rates than other higher education institutions. Coupled with the outsized impact the recent closures of several large for-profit institutions has had on the student veteran population, lawmakers will likely examine 90/10 rule provisions during Higher Education Act reauthorization.
Agency Action
VA Increases Maximum Tuition and Fee Benefit for Post-9/11 GI Bill Recipients
In an April 9 Federal Register notice, the Department of Veterans Affairs published an increase to the maximum tuition and fee amounts payable under the Post-9/11 GI Bill for the 2019-20 academic year. For students enrolled at public institutions, the benefit equals the tuition and fee rate for in-state students. The maximum benefit is $24,476.79 for students attending private and foreign schools, $13,986.72 for vocational flight schools, and $11,888.70 for correspondence schools. The adjustments are indexed to the change in the average cost of undergraduate tuition in the U.S. as determined by the National Center for Education Statistics, which saw a 3.4 percent increase this year.
ED Calls for Clear Wording in Financial Aid Offers
In an April 15 Electronic Announcement, the Department of Education asked schools to adopt standard terminology in financial aid offers to students and families. Notably, ED called for schools to include the cost of attendance; to differentiate between grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study; and to avoid calling the communication an “award” or a “letter.” Additionally, ED instructed institutions to clarify the source (federal, state, institutional, or private) of loans.
Take Action
Use NACUBO Resources to Engage in Higher Ed Policy Discussions
The state of higher education has been a popular topic of discussion in Washington and on the presidential campaign trail recently. Look to NACUBO’s recent Medium post, 2019 Policies and Priorities, and accompanying slide deck for our assessment and communications tools. Eager to join the conversation? Join us and other groups for NACUBO’s Twitter chat on May 2 at 1 pm ET. Tweet or follow along with the hashtag #highered19.
