Department of Education Conference Call

The (DOE) Department of Education held a conference call on Friday that didn’t really clarify any potential upcoming regulatory changes.

Deputy Undersecretary Robert Shireman basically repeated what was published in The Federal Register.

In essence they intend to convene a committee to develop & propose regulations to maintain and/ or improve program integrity in the Title IV, HEA programs

Shireman did not explain the specific reasons which prompted these meetings, other than wanting students to

have access to college and good quality post-secondary education that serves

students and taxpayers.  He stated a couple of times that the DOE wanted and is seeking input regarding potential changes

The real question is: Is this a lead in opportunity for the Obama administration to come up with significant changes with the ability to say that they were proposed to them rather than taking ownership of leading the charge? 

The good news is that Shireman did not attack the utility of for-profit institutions or their role in providing quality education.

He basically said that there are effective schools and less-effective schools in every sector, so the focus needs to be on quality regardless of sector.