What Did I Miss in Washington? May 29-June 10, 2019
6/10/2019
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
Members of Congress Question Legality of Income-Share Agreements
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), along with Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Katie Porter (D-CA), raised concerns about the legality of income-share agreements in a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. The letter states that income-share agreements, the terms of which often vary based on a student’s major and other personal factors, have the potential to lead to discrimination based on legally protected classes such as race, sex or, age; that they are unregulated by the federal government; and that they often feature terms akin to predatory lending practices.
Wyden Proposes Legislation in Response to the Admissions Scandal
Responding to this year’s college admissions bribery scandal, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced legislation intended to stop the practice of tax-deductible donations in exchange for preferential admissions treatment. In addition to limiting the tax deductibility of donations for families, the measure would require that institutions implement a policy that prohibits consideration in admissions decisions of a family’s donations or ability to make donations. Title IV-eligible institutions also would be required to report how many applicants, admitted applicants, and enrolled students are children of large-scale donors.
Judicial Action
Supreme Court Rejects Request to Expedite DACA Ruling
The Supreme Court has denied an order, filed by the Trump administration, requesting that it expedite an answer on whether it will hear arguments concerning the administration’s elimination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The Court has been resistant to past administration attempts to engage it on DACA litigation, preferring to let the matter work its way through the lower courts first. The Court may now wait until its fall convening before deciding whether to place DACA litigation on its hearing schedule.
Take Action
Stay Current on Financial Responsibility Reporting Rules
The Department of Education has published a Questions and Answers document that addresses reporting for public institutions, as well as debt and liability triggers for all institutions, related to the borrower defense to repayment final regulations. NACUBO has updated Advisory Report 2018-05 to reflect this new information.
